Final Report Summary - WS DEBATE (Stimulating Policy Debate on Women and Science Issues in Central Europe)
The major overall objective of the WS DEBATE project was the stimulation of policy and public debate on the situation and perspectives of women in science, in order to bridge the gap between policy developments and public understanding of the related issues, and to raise gender awareness among policymakers, scientists, as well as among the lay public interested in scientific developments.
This objective was realised by encouraging a broad public debate based on the dissemination of the knowledge gathered by the Enwise report ('Waste of talents: turning private struggles into a public issue - Women and Science in the Enwise countries' European Commission, EUR 20955 EN) in the countries of central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia). The distribution, dissemination and media presentation of this report in the local languages was the logical first step after the delivery of the report. As the Enwise report itself is reflecting continuity of a number of efforts already made in the same direction by the European Commission, this project aimed to make the continuity visible for the respective audiences of policy makers and scientists, as well as of target groups still unaware of the issue in central Europe, by involving also mass media. The project supports the process of implementation of Enwise recommendations, which should enable long run sustainability of those efforts in the CE countries, as well as contribute to the promotion of a dialogue on best gender equality practice.
As part of the end results the conferences exposed evidence on womens marginalisation in science, sensitising the scientific and the wider public for the issues. Women scientists have been sensitised for the relevance of gender dimension in research and they were exposed to epistemological concerns related to the issue. The project activities supported communication and exchange among wider circles of women scientists, on one hand, and gender experts of the project partner countries, on the other, which presumably will have a lasting impact for the inclusion of gender dimension into future scientific research. The conferences also encouraged national, disciplinary, regional and wider European networking of women scientists.
This objective was realised by encouraging a broad public debate based on the dissemination of the knowledge gathered by the Enwise report ('Waste of talents: turning private struggles into a public issue - Women and Science in the Enwise countries' European Commission, EUR 20955 EN) in the countries of central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia). The distribution, dissemination and media presentation of this report in the local languages was the logical first step after the delivery of the report. As the Enwise report itself is reflecting continuity of a number of efforts already made in the same direction by the European Commission, this project aimed to make the continuity visible for the respective audiences of policy makers and scientists, as well as of target groups still unaware of the issue in central Europe, by involving also mass media. The project supports the process of implementation of Enwise recommendations, which should enable long run sustainability of those efforts in the CE countries, as well as contribute to the promotion of a dialogue on best gender equality practice.
As part of the end results the conferences exposed evidence on womens marginalisation in science, sensitising the scientific and the wider public for the issues. Women scientists have been sensitised for the relevance of gender dimension in research and they were exposed to epistemological concerns related to the issue. The project activities supported communication and exchange among wider circles of women scientists, on one hand, and gender experts of the project partner countries, on the other, which presumably will have a lasting impact for the inclusion of gender dimension into future scientific research. The conferences also encouraged national, disciplinary, regional and wider European networking of women scientists.
