Parliament supports 'women and science'
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of British socialist MEP Eryl McNally's invitation to support the European Commission's communication on 'Women and Science - Mobilising Women to enrich European Research.' The Commission's paper highlights the problem of the under-representation of women in science, and proposes several objectives, including stimulating discussion and sharing experience among Member States on improving women's participation in science, and increasing the number of women engaged in Community research projects during the Fifth Framework Programme. The Communication began life in 1997, as a Commission initiative prepared as part of the preparation for the Fifth Framework Programme. In 1999 the Council of Ministers welcomed the Communication and its objectives. It was then forwarded to the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities, who appointed Ms McNally as rapporteur, and to the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy for its opinion. Ms McNally's report was approved on 3 February 2000 by over 90 per cent of votes cast, and the British MEP is reportedly very happy with the result. The report states: 'Since EU research is undertaken on behalf of all the citizens of Europe, including women, efforts must be made to ensure that their wishes and priorities are met'. Gender impact studies, currently being carried out by the Commission during the course of the Fifth Framework Programme, will be 'invaluable' during the planning of the Sixth Framework Programme, says the report. Improving the representation of women will 'prove an excellent example of mainstreaming gender-equality in the work of the EU in an area where women have been traditionally underrepresented,' it continues, underlining the EU's commitment to the mainstreaming concept. The report also highlights the gains in competitiveness to be made by improving female representation in the sciences, but warns that 'if the Information Society is to make as significant an impact as expected, women must be equipped with the necessary skills'. Member States and applicant countries should be encouraged to discover best practices for improving the ratio of women in science and understanding the barriers facing women scientists, says the report. To achieve this it suggests benchmarking exercises be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of various measures employed by different countries. Networks of women scientists, as envisaged at the European Commission's Women and Science Conference 1999, are also to be encouraged, in particular the establishment at European level of a database of female experts: 'which would serve to enhance perception of the potential of female expertise and, in doing so, widely publicise it'. In its opinion, the Committee on Research said: 'The EU's political will is unanimous that women should play a greater part in science: Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments and governments all agree on this'. The Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunity noted: 'Raising the profile of women in research must be seen as a benchmark for the promotion of women in all the other areas of social and political life'.