Towards Gendered Science and Research: Gender Mainstreaming in the EU Science Policies

1
Towards Gendered Science and Research Gender
Mainstreaming in the EU Science Policies

• Alexandra Bitusikova
• 7 September 2005
• Bratislava, Slovakia

2
From the (short) history

• The role of women in science emerged as a major
  policy concern in the EU in the late 1990s.
  Promoting equality of women and men in science
  essential condition for building the strong ERA.
• In 1999 the EC adopted a Communication and an
  Action plan Women and science-Mobilising women
  to enrich European research.
• In parallel, the EC (DG Research) commissioned a
  group of women scientists to form ETAN (European
  Technology Assessment Network) in order to
  prepare ETAN report on women and science in the
  EU (Science policies in the EU promoting
  excellence through mainstreaming gender equality,
  2000).

3
The Helsinki Group on Women and Science

• 1999 Research Council invited EU Member States
  to engage in a dialogue on national policies and
  to collect data on women in scientific research
  system at the level of government, HE and private
  sector (Council Resolution May 1999).
• As a result, the Helsinki Group on Women and
  Science was established by the EC (first meeting
  in Helsinki) in November 1999 (members 15
  Members States, 17 Associated and Candidate
  countries, Iceland, Norway and Israel).
• The mandate of the Helsinki Group to promote
  discussion at national to local levels, collect
  statistical data and monitor womens
  participation in research.

4
Women and Science Networks

• Networking crucial for empowerment of women
  scientists
• Since 1999, Women and Science unit of the EC has
  been producing a directory of networks of women
  scientists (Network Guide). Latest Directory
  2003 http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-s
  ociety/pdf/women-sc-net-guide_en.pdf
• The final recommendations report proposes to
  establish a European Platform of Women Scientists
  (2005) http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/science
  -society/pdf/reco_report_250703.pdf

5
ENWISE Expert Group

• The ENWISE (Enlarge Women in Science to East)
  Expert Group was established by the EC in order
  to assess the situation on women scientists in
  the CEECs and the Baltic States.
• In 2004 the ENWISE final report was published
  (Waste of talents turning private struggles into
  a public issue
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-soc
  iety/women/enwise/pdf/enwise-report_3.pdf
• The report compares communist gender policies
  with the transition period connected with decline
  of research funding and decrease of research
  community in CEECs. As a consequence women
  scientists more vulnerable.

6
Women in Industrial Research

• Women in Industrial Research (WIR) Expert Group
  established by the EC to provide advice on how to
  support gender equality in industry. Women in
  private research - 15 (compared to 30 in public
  research).
• 1st initiative STRATA-ETAN group Women in
  Research in the Private Sector (Final Report in
  2003)
• 2nd initiative Analysis of statistical data and
  good practices of companies
• 3rd initiative brochure Good practices in
  companies across Europe
• 4th intiative Women in Industrial Research
  conference

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GM in Women and Science

• ECs main objective to promote gender equality
  in science through FPs and in the context of
  Science and Society Action Plan and to achieve
  the target of the Research Council 40
  participation of women at all levels in
  implementing and managing research programmes.
• At the national levels to increase female
  academic staff and percentage of women in top
  positions women at the top levels in industry
  number of women at all national research
  councils, ministries and committees that set
  science policies GM at all levels

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A few numbers

• Women constitute 58 of graduates in the 25-EU
• Women PhDs 41
• 28 of all researchers in the 25-EU are women
• Women in HE sector 35 in industrial research
  18
• Women professors 14
• Targets to increase number of women in leading
  positions qualitative (recruitment procedures,
  training, mentoring) and quantitative (25 by
  2010, for new recruitments 33)

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Main Challenges

• Reconciling professional and private life
  (family-friendly working environment)
• Empowering women in decision-making in research
  and industry
• Research excellence evaluation of excellence is
  still not gender neutral (gender bias in
  assessment criteria)
• Strenghtening gender research across the whole
  Europe
• (proposal of the EC to start a European award
  on excellence in gender research)
• Increasing womens participation in science,
  technology and innovation (mainly industrial
  research)

10
Magic 40 Target

• is still a dream
• Women in FP6 evaluation panels 26
• Women in FP6 Advisory Groups 27 (28 in FP5)
• Women in expert database 24 (2004)
• Women in Programme Committees 26 in FP6
• Women Project coordinators 14 in FP6 (16 in
  FP5)
• Women in Marie Curie fellowships 35 (2004)
• Database on gender participation in FP6 is being
  developed and should be online in 2005.
• A Vademecum on GM in the 6FP (2003) for
  scientific officers and evaluators.

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Gender Dimension in FP Projects

• All FP projects have to take gender perspective
  into account.
• Integrated Projects (IPs) and Networks of
  Excellence (NoEs) must provide Gender Equality
  Plan (GAP).
• Womens participation in FP6 projects must be
  encouraged both as scientists and within
  evaluation, consultation and implementation.
• Research must address bot womens and mens
  needs.
• Research must contribute to understandning of
  gender issues.
• More Synthesis Report of the gender impact
  assessment studies in FP5 (http//europa.eu.int/co
  mm/research/science-society/pdf/women_gender_impac
  t_fp5_en.pdf)

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Research Careers for Women

• Research institutions and programmes have to
  develop standards to ensure healthy work-life
  balance.
• All publicly funded programmes (grants,
  fellowships etc.) should include inforamtion on
  combining scientific and family life. All
  mobility programmes have to address the issues of
  maternity and parental leave.
• Age limitations have to be abolished in all
  research councils, grant agencies and programmes
  (women with children are disadvantaged)
• Dual career issues have to be addresses at all
  levels from EU to institutional.

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THANK YOU

• VERY MUCH