Periodic Reporting for period 2 - UniSAFE (Gender-based violence and institutional responses: Building a knowledge base and operational tools to make universities and research organisations safe)
Período documentado: 2022-08-01 hasta 2024-01-31
The problem of gender-based violence is prevalent across Europe. It is a human rights violation, and both a cause and a consequence of gender inequalities. There are numerous reports on gender-based violence, including sexual harassment within European universities and research institutions. This violence has detrimental effects on personal wellbeing, as well as scientific studies, careers, and research output of its victims.
Gender-based violence also hinders research and educational performance at the institutional level. Several studies have shown that women in precarious working conditions (e.g. early career stage researchers, transnational researchers, and researchers with short-term affiliation) are at particular risk of experiencing gender-based violence, including sexual harassment.
Despite growing scholarly and policy interest in the issue, a full understanding of the scope, consequences and measures on gender-based violence and sexual harassment in European universities and research organisations is yet to be reached, while the problem frequently remains underestimated at the institutional, social and national levels.
Project UniSAFE addressed the problem via two overall objectives, which were successfully reached. UniSAFE’s partners, together with a network of national researchers, investigated the prevalence and consequences of gender-based violence in universities and research organisations, as well as institutions’ responses and existing policy frameworks. The research relied on a comprehensive theoretical model and examined the mechanisms and prevalence of gender-based violence, its determinants, antecedents and consequences, by a multilevel research design to collect, analyse, and synthesise qualitative and quantitative data on micro (individual), meso (organisational) and macro (national) levels. The research thus produced new, robust and reliable knowledge on gender-based violence. The research was translated into concrete tools and recommendations not only for universities and research organisations, but also for funding organisations, staff and student associations, policymakers, and umbrella organisations addressing gender-based violence.
Throughout the very productive and widely disseminated research stage, an ambitious and holistic 7P model, covering prevalence, prevention, protection, prosecution, provision of services, partnerships and policy, was used to collect and analyse data on each level. The same 7P model was used to co-design a comprehensive set of measures and tools to be applied inside universities and research organisations, as well as by other stakeholders, including policymakers and research financing organisations. Concrete recommendation and tools, a user-friendly UniSAFE toolkit for further development of holistic policy responses, and several trainings for capacity-building resulted in the inclusion of a wider community of universities and research organisations via capacity-building programmes, user involvement in tool development, and advocacy actions in the project, which facilitates the transfer of knowledge and implementation of policies for lasting impact.
As the project continued to translate this knowledge into tailored, fit-for-purpose tools and measures primarily for the research performing organisations taking part in the project, the implementation of those measures could be begun promptly. This has immediately increased the capacity of staff and students to address gender-based violence, while providing the organisations with effective policies and measures for combatting gender-based violence.
The comprehensive set of tools and measures created within the project can be implemented at a wide level in research performing organisations, leading to changes with high socio-economic impact with wide societal implications. The most important of which being the reduction of gender-based violence in academic environments and research workplaces in Europe. The project's recommendations, tools, and research remain available to be taken up in further research and policymaking for continued impact.