TARGET aimed to contribute to the advancement of gender equality in research and innovation (R&I) by supporting a reflexive gender equality policy in seven gender equality innovating institutions (GEIIs) in the Mediterranean basin, including three research performing organisations (RPOs), three research funding organisations (RFOs) and a network of universities. They share as a common characteristic that they had little experience with gender equality policies and that they are located in countries which were characterised as relatively “inactive” in developing gender equality policies in research and innovation (R&I) before TARGET started in 2017.
TARGET did not only aim at the formal adoption of a gender equality policy but emphasised an iterative and reflexive process towards equality at the institutional level as well as the establishment of a community of practice (CoP) for gender equality within the institution. The approach is based on a three-dimensional gender equality concept. The gender equality plan (GEP) and in case of the network of universities the gender equality strategy (GES) aims to achieve a gender balance in all fields and decision making, the abolishment of structural barriers for women’s careers and the integration of the gender dimension in research content and teaching. Furthermore, TARGET assumes that actual change is the result of increased institutional willingness and capacity to identify, reflect on and address gender bias in a sustained way.
In concrete TARGET pursued the following objectives:
• Build the institutional capacity of 7 GEIIs for a reflexive gender equality policy in 5 EU countries and 2 non-EU countries over 56 months. This includes competences to conduct a gender audit, to design, implement, monitor and self-assess a tailored GEP in parallel to the establishment of a CoP integrating relevant stakeholders.
• Foster an active reflexive learning process within the GEIIs through institutional change making workshops each run in conjunction with a supporting institution at each stage of the GEP/GES process as well as between the GEIIs at each stage of the GEP/GES process through five CBWs for the development of customised GEP tools: audit, planning, monitoring and self-assessment.
• Generate actions for multiplier effects through the innovative, network supported use of institutional change agents with national level leverage: reinforcing gender equality in R&I in countries relatively inactive in this field – through national level workshops.
• Design, develop, test and integrate effective tools for each stage of the GEP/GES (audit, planning, implementation and monitoring, evaluation) that can be customised to the specific RFO/RPO and be of use to the network and other research institutions.
• Develop new knowledge for institutions, practitioners and policy makers based on a comparative analysis of customised GEP/GES implementation and sustainability to provide a basis for effective sharing of practice and future change initiatives in both proactive and relatively inactive countries in the field of gender equality in R&I – taking into account the differences in cultural, socio-economic and political settings.
