Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON

Project Information

GENDERACTIONplus

Grant agreement ID: 101058093

DOI

10.3030/101058093

Project closed

EC signature date 13 May 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 31 May 2025

Funded under

• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System

Total cost

€ 3 040 246,07

EU contribution

€ 2 999 814,00

Coordinated by

SOCIOLOGICKY USTAV AV CR V.V.I.
Czechia

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GENDERACTIONplus (Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON)

Reporting period: 2024-06-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

GENDERACTIONplus is a policy-oriented Horizon Europe project focused on addressing persistent intersectional gender inequalities in the European Research Area (ERA). Our aim has been to advance inclusive gender equality through capacity building, mutual learning and policy development and coordination.
The project focuses on five priority areas of intersectional gender inequality: 1) intersectionality and inclusiveness; 2) gender-based violence in R&I; 3) the integration of gender dimension in R&I content; 4) monitoring and evaluation of gender equality policies; and 5) institutional change through Gender Equality Plans (GEPs).
GENDERACTIONplus has worked through two Communities of Practice: one of national authorities from 11 MS and 2 AC and 7 MS Associated partners and the other of Research Funding Organisations (8 MS RFOs, 2 AC RFOs, 6 Associated partners and 3 RFOs joined through Memorandum of Understanding).
Our objective has been to:
– provide strategic policy advice in the five thematic areas;
– engage stakeholders in shaping policy;
– build capacities, competence and expertise for inclusive gender equality, especially in less advanced policy contexts;
– support policy uptake, advocacy and structured dissemination.
We have worked to achieve the following impacts:
– improved policy coordination among MS and ACs;
– improved research careers and working conditions through supporting institutional change and addressing gender-based violence;
– enhanced research quality and societal responsibility of knowledge through inclusive gender analysis in R&I; and
– reduced geographic inequality in gender equality policy uptake.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In its final year, GENDERACTIONplus focused on translating knowledge into policy outreach and practical change across national, EU, and institutional levels.
Through regular mutual learning workshops and bimonthly exchanges, the two Communities of Practice (national authorities and research funders) built trust, exchanged experience, and strengthened coordination capacities. These forums helped contextualise policy advice, tools, and practices for national application, particularly in countries with less advanced gender equality infrastructures.
The project’s policy recommendations in the five thematic areas were disseminated to national stakeholders and EU bodies. They contributed to policy discussions, revisions of national strategies, and reinforced political support for inclusive gender equality as a core ERA value.
Key outcomes include:
• Strengthened institutional capacity among Horizon Europe NCPs through an online training course on the gender dimension in R&I, reaching over 200 participants from 31 countries.
• Early institutional responses by research funders and national authorities prompted by a co-developed zero-tolerance policy template on gender-based violence in R&I.
• Uptake of the Framework for the Integration and Evaluation of an Inclusive Gender Analysis in R&I by Member States and Research Funders as a reference point for policy planning.
• Increased clarity and structured national dialogue on how to monitor and evaluate Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), informed by project guidance documents tailored to national contexts.
• Use of National Impact Plans to promote the uptake of project tools and recommendations and foster domestic policy cooperation.
• Dissemination and discussion of findings and recommendations at the mid-term and final project conferences, creating space for policy reflection and future planning at EU and national levels.
Together, these outcomes helped bridge policy and practice, strengthened national capabilities, and supported alignment with evolving ERA and Horizon Europe priorities.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

GENDERACTIONplus delivered a suite of practical, evidence-based outputs that advance inclusive gender equality policies and structures in research and innovation (R&I) across the European Research Area.
Key results include:
• The Framework for the Integration and Evaluation of an Inclusive Gender Analysis in R&I, co-developed with ERA stakeholders and adopted by the ERA Forum Sub-group on Gender Equality and Inclusiveness, which provides shared principles for embedding inclusive gender analysis in R&I systems.
• A zero-tolerance policy template for research funders and national authorities to address gender-based violence and sexual harassment in R&I environments, developed with input from the Communities of Practice.
• Two national-level guidance documents for monitoring (D6.2) and evaluating (D6.3) Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), offering adaptable, phased approaches to strengthen national oversight frameworks.
• A training course for Horizon Europe National Contact Points (NCPs), hosted on the NCP Virtual Campus and designed to build capacity on the integration of the gender dimension in R&I content.
• 13 policy position papers, developed through structured stakeholder engagement, offering strategic recommendations across five thematic areas aligned with ERA and Horizon Europe priorities.
• A policy dashboard providing searchable access to all position papers and the project's strategic framing outputs.
• A data dashboard with detailed, gender-disaggregated data on ERA Action 5 commitment as well as students, graduates, employees, and researchers across multiple disciplines and countries.
• The GENDERACTIONplus Mobilisation Network, launched in 2025, connecting over 250 stakeholders across Europe to support continued advocacy on inclusive gender equality.
These results provide policy actors with concrete tools and tested approaches to support implementation at institutional, national, and EU levels. They are already being used to inform national policy updates and are positioned to contribute to the ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027 and the design of Framework Programme 10.

Consortium meeting in Madrid, June 2024