Project description
Challenging gender bias in telecoms sector
While the number of women employed in the telecommunications industry is rising, it remains a male-dominated sector. Men continue to outnumber women, and this trend will be hard to shake off. The rise of algorithm-powered technology has been criticised for reproducing gender bias, particularly in AI-driven products. The EU-funded TELAIGEN project will explore the gender bias within the Spanish telecommunications industry as a direct consequence of the lack of women in the sector. The central hypothesis is that the current gender gap in the sector leads to lack of integration of a gender perspective leading consequently to the reproduction of gender bias in AI technologies. The findings will help improve the gender balance.
Objective
The rise of algorithm-powered technology in the telecommunications industry has been criticised for reproducing gender bias, particularly in Artificial Intelligence-driven (AI) products. This interdisciplinary and intersectoral project explores the gender bias within the Spanish telecommunications industry as a direct consequence of the lack of women in the sector. The purpose is to develop a multi-methodological study that allows to draw attention and evidence the gender gap and the consequent lack of a gender perspective within this industry in Spain. The central hypothesis is that the current gender gap in the sector leads to lack of integration of a gender perspective leading consequently, to the reproduction of gender bias in AI technologies. This, as a result, produces a setback in gender equality. To explore this, the study asks the following questions: what is the degree of the gender gap within the telecommunications industry in Spain? Are measures being taken to address this? To answer these questions, I will gather data on two levels: first, at the general level by implementing a quantitative survey-based methodology, targeting 400 industry insiders to gain information on the gender gap in the overall sector; and second, at the specific level, by carrying out a case-study through my secondment at Telefónica, Investigación y Desarrollo (TID), a Spanish leading research centre in new technologies where I will use qualitative-based methodologies to investigate its gender bias and its lack of integration of a gender perspective. A major outcome of this research is the production of a report to be handed to TID with specific guidelines for the incorporation of a gender perspective that will help them reduce their gender bias in their AI technologies and improve the commercialisation of their products. This report will have the potentiality of becoming a benchmark study for further research in the field, particularly within the European context.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology gender studies gender equality
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.