Women and Science - Activities

Women and Science

Activities

Gender mainstreaming and collection of statistics in the Sixth Framework Programme
To contribute to the promotion of women in scientific research, the European Commission is undertaking measures to ensure gender mainstreaming in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), from 2002 to 2006. In order to monitor the progress of women scientists' participation in FP6, the European Commission will collect statistics on gender distribution. For more about Framework Programme Statistics.

The Helsinki Group on Women and Science
The role of the Helsinki Group on Women and Science is to exchange views, experiences and best practice on measures and policies devised and implemented at local, regional, national and European level in order to encourage the participation of women in scientific careers and research. The group first met in Helsinki in 1999, hence its name, and consists of civil servants and gender experts from the 15 EU Member States and 17 countries associated to the Framework Programme.

Women and Science networks
Networking is an essential tool for empowering women scientists in Europe. In 1999, the Women and Science Unit produced a comprehensive directory of networks of women scientists across Europe: the Network Guide. This directory is regularly updated and a new version will be available in 2003. A study is also being carried out to provide recommendations for the setting up of a European Platform of Women Scientists.

Sex-disaggregated statistics and indicators on women scientists
In order to monitor the collective career progress of women scientists, it is crucial to have up-to-date statistics and indicators that tell us whether the situation is improving and how it differs across scientific disciplines and countries. These inform the policy debate and help to identify the most critical areas. Each of the Helsinki Group countries has nominated a statistical correspondent, who reports the results from various national surveys to the European Commission. These statistics are mainly drawn from national R&D surveys, but also include data relating to the sex composition of scientific boards and to the applicants for - and the beneficiaries of - research funding.

Women in Industrial Research
Industry carries out over two thirds of all European scientific research. The Women in Industrial Research Expert Group has been established to provide advice to the European Commission, European Member States and industry on moves to support women research scientists working in industry. It also acts as an information point for women in the private sector. A recent report produced by the WIR Expert Group has underlined that the under-representation of women within industrial research is even more severe (15%) than the one in the public sector (30%).

Promoting gender equality in science in a wider Europe
The situation of women scientists in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Baltic States has not been examined in depth to date. The Commission has set up the ENWISE Expert Group (Enlarge "Women In Science" to East) to analyse it in order to provide women scientists of these countries with tools for approaching policy makers and to promote gender equality in the broader 'accession' context.