Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GENDERACTION (GENDer equality in the ERA Community To Innovate policy implementatiON)
Berichtszeitraum: 2019-10-01 bis 2021-09-30
Over the last four years, GENDERACTION has worked actively to mainstream gender in research and innovation policies in the European Union, to coordinate advice on gender equality policy in the EU, to build capacity to foster gender equality in research and innovation, and to network across the EU and beyond. We have succeeded in becoming one of the main advocates for gender equality in European Research and Innovation policy, delivering more than 50 specific recommendations. We have engaged in fruitful discussions with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and Council Presidencies, as well as other stakeholders and institutions.
In the area of policy-making, we have identified the core elements that go into ensuring a robust process of policy-making on gender equality in the European Research Area. We have shown how important it is to monitor and evaluate policy implementation. We have also delivered evidence showing that careful attention must be paid to defining indicators in order to assess progress.
Our mutual learning activities have proved to be an excellent tool for sharing knowledge, increasing the professionalisation of our work, and learning from each other. Through our workshops, we have raised awareness of gender-equality issues in research and innovation among more than 500 people working in various fields of research and innovation.
We have developed messages to better include gender equality in the new European research-funding programme, Horizon Europe. We have successfully mobilised the greater community to join public consultations and show support for our proposals. Our policy briefs were translated into seven national languages and distributed to member states at the national level.
We have also identified new areas for mainstreaming gender. First, our analyses indicate that the Open Science policy and, to a lesser degree, the Open Innovation policy remain gender-blind, and have made proposals for addressing gender aspects this policy. We have advanced work on gender equality in international cooperation in science, technology, and innovation, and we have delivered recommendations on how to achieve this, including a concrete checklist that responsible bodies can use to ensure that new policies and agreements address gender issues. We have been successful in forming ties with gender and science organisations in third countries. Together with them, we have developed recommendations for the European Commission and other stakeholders.
Through our sustained and active advocacy, many of our recommendations have been taken up and put into practice. We at GENDERACTION are very happy that our policy briefs have been recognised by the European Commission as one of the most important contributions to gender equality in Horizon 2020.
In the area of policy-making, we have identified the core elements that go into ensuring a robust process of policy-making on gender equality in the European Research Area. We have shown how important it is to monitor and evaluate policy implementation. We have also delivered evidence showing that careful attention must be paid to defining indicators in order to assess progress.
Our mutual learning activities have proved to be an excellent tool for sharing knowledge, increasing the professionalisation of our work, and learning from each other. Through our workshops, we have raised awareness of gender-equality issues in research and innovation among more than 500 people working in various fields of research and innovation.
We have developed messages to better include gender equality in the new European research-funding programme, Horizon Europe. We have successfully mobilised the greater community to join public consultations and show support for our proposals. Our policy briefs were translated into seven national languages and distributed to member states at the national level.
We have also identified new areas for mainstreaming gender. First, our analyses indicate that the Open Science policy and, to a lesser degree, the Open Innovation policy remain gender-blind, and have made proposals for addressing gender aspects this policy. We have advanced work on gender equality in international cooperation in science, technology, and innovation, and we have delivered recommendations on how to achieve this, including a concrete checklist that responsible bodies can use to ensure that new policies and agreements address gender issues. We have been successful in forming ties with gender and science organisations in third countries. Together with them, we have developed recommendations for the European Commission and other stakeholders.
Through our sustained and active advocacy, many of our recommendations have been taken up and put into practice. We at GENDERACTION are very happy that our policy briefs have been recognised by the European Commission as one of the most important contributions to gender equality in Horizon 2020.
The main areas of GENDERACTION activities have been:
● ERA NAPS benchmarking
GENDERACTION analyses show that the ERA National Action Plans and Strategies have proven to be a catalytic document in many countries of the EU, particularly the countries that are less active in gender equality in R&I. GENDERACTION findings have been useful for the design of future monitoring indicators as the analysis of the current ERA indicators shows they are poorly suited to the task and provide a skewed view of gender equality implementation across Member States.
● Strategic policy advice
Strategic policy advice on gender and science has been one of the cornerstones of the GENDERACTION project and was primarily achieved through the implementation of the National Impact Plans and EU Impact Plan. The most important area of action was the negotiation of the new Framework Programme, Horizon Europe. GENDERACTION launched a Horizon Europe Policy Brief Series. Project partners and Associated Partners concentrated on distributing the Policy Brief Series to relevant stakeholders at national level and the European Commission DG RTD. Once Horizon Europe negotiations were concluded, GENDERACTION focused on gender aspects of new European Partnerships, gender in the new configuration of the ERDF/ESF Funds and gender in international cooperation in STI where GENDERACTION policy brief was distributed to relevant stakeholders as part of the consultations on the Commission Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation. In addition, a whole new policy focus was developed on gender+ aspects in Sustainable Development Goals with a research review, policy benchmark and five policy briefs published.
● Structural change for gender equality
Structural change for promoting gender equality through Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) is the dominant approach to promoting GE in Research Funding and Performing Organizations. The results of a mutual learning workshop were transformed into a policy brief, and the recommendations were presented and discussed at the Finish Presidency Conference Research and Innovation Excellence through gender equality: New pathways and challenges on 23 and 24 October 2019.
● Capacity building and mutual learning
Capacity building and mutual learning activities have been another core element of the project, with two target groups: representatives of national authorities responsible for gender equality and the National Contact Points for Horizon 2020. Thanks to these actions, national representatives developed their knowledge in terms of content as well as strategies to implement gender equality policies at national level. Furthermore, the trainings for NCPs ensured that NCPs have a solid understanding of key concepts related to gender issues in R&I, and a better understanding of how to integrate the gender dimension in research proposals and projects. In 2021 we developed trainings on the gender requirements in Horizon Europe and successfully delivered three of these.
● ERA NAPS benchmarking
GENDERACTION analyses show that the ERA National Action Plans and Strategies have proven to be a catalytic document in many countries of the EU, particularly the countries that are less active in gender equality in R&I. GENDERACTION findings have been useful for the design of future monitoring indicators as the analysis of the current ERA indicators shows they are poorly suited to the task and provide a skewed view of gender equality implementation across Member States.
● Strategic policy advice
Strategic policy advice on gender and science has been one of the cornerstones of the GENDERACTION project and was primarily achieved through the implementation of the National Impact Plans and EU Impact Plan. The most important area of action was the negotiation of the new Framework Programme, Horizon Europe. GENDERACTION launched a Horizon Europe Policy Brief Series. Project partners and Associated Partners concentrated on distributing the Policy Brief Series to relevant stakeholders at national level and the European Commission DG RTD. Once Horizon Europe negotiations were concluded, GENDERACTION focused on gender aspects of new European Partnerships, gender in the new configuration of the ERDF/ESF Funds and gender in international cooperation in STI where GENDERACTION policy brief was distributed to relevant stakeholders as part of the consultations on the Commission Communication on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation. In addition, a whole new policy focus was developed on gender+ aspects in Sustainable Development Goals with a research review, policy benchmark and five policy briefs published.
● Structural change for gender equality
Structural change for promoting gender equality through Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) is the dominant approach to promoting GE in Research Funding and Performing Organizations. The results of a mutual learning workshop were transformed into a policy brief, and the recommendations were presented and discussed at the Finish Presidency Conference Research and Innovation Excellence through gender equality: New pathways and challenges on 23 and 24 October 2019.
● Capacity building and mutual learning
Capacity building and mutual learning activities have been another core element of the project, with two target groups: representatives of national authorities responsible for gender equality and the National Contact Points for Horizon 2020. Thanks to these actions, national representatives developed their knowledge in terms of content as well as strategies to implement gender equality policies at national level. Furthermore, the trainings for NCPs ensured that NCPs have a solid understanding of key concepts related to gender issues in R&I, and a better understanding of how to integrate the gender dimension in research proposals and projects. In 2021 we developed trainings on the gender requirements in Horizon Europe and successfully delivered three of these.
The findings and recommendations developed by GENDERACTION continue to be relevant for the new European Research Area implementation both at the EU and national levels. The findings and recommendations were presented at a joint conference organised with GENDERACTION and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU as the final project event in July 2021. The recommendations also informed the early drafting of the Ljubljana Declaration, adopted in autumn 2021 by 35 countries. The key areas identified by the project as requiring further policy attention are: intersectionality, monitoring and evaluation of Gender Equality Plan implementation at national level and gender based violence including sexual harassment.