Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GENDER STI (Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovation Bilateral and Multilateral Dialogues)
Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2023-10-31
The GENDER STI project addresses the challenge to integrate the gender perspective in science, technology and innovation (STI) in dialogues between Europe and third countries, as part of the European Research Area (ERA) strategy to advance gender equality in Research and Innovation (R&I). Working towards gender equality is an essential part of the European R&I policy, and the EU has established itself as world leader in integrating the gender dimension in research. Despite the efforts in recent years, the EU has not yet reached the halfway mark to full gender equality, and women remain underrepresented in all fields of STI.
The overall objectives of the GENDER STI project are twofold:
1) Investigate and follow up how gender equality matters are taken into consideration at different levels of international cooperation dialogues in the area of STI between the EU MS and AC on one side, and the selected set of 10 third countries (Canada, the United States of America (US), Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, India, South Korea and China) on the other side. The investigation is being conducted along the three objectives of the EU gender equality strategy in R&I.
2) Develop a strategy to co-design solutions for common challenges regarding gender inequalities in STI, through a design thinking process to engage relevant stakeholders in EU and the selected third countries.
During the three years of the project, Gender STI has fostered research and dialogue opportunities focused on promoting gender equality in science, technology, and innovation. It stands in a promising position to ensure that the project's outcomes remain relevant and sustainable. The commitment to the partners ensures the long-term impact of the Gender STI outcomes. The Gender STI project has revealed pivotal tools such as the European Observatory on Gender in STI and the Community of Practice, supplemented by a repository of research papers, best practice guidelines, policy briefs as well as visual materials.
The overall objectives of the GENDER STI project are twofold:
1) Investigate and follow up how gender equality matters are taken into consideration at different levels of international cooperation dialogues in the area of STI between the EU MS and AC on one side, and the selected set of 10 third countries (Canada, the United States of America (US), Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, India, South Korea and China) on the other side. The investigation is being conducted along the three objectives of the EU gender equality strategy in R&I.
2) Develop a strategy to co-design solutions for common challenges regarding gender inequalities in STI, through a design thinking process to engage relevant stakeholders in EU and the selected third countries.
During the three years of the project, Gender STI has fostered research and dialogue opportunities focused on promoting gender equality in science, technology, and innovation. It stands in a promising position to ensure that the project's outcomes remain relevant and sustainable. The commitment to the partners ensures the long-term impact of the Gender STI outcomes. The Gender STI project has revealed pivotal tools such as the European Observatory on Gender in STI and the Community of Practice, supplemented by a repository of research papers, best practice guidelines, policy briefs as well as visual materials.
GENDER STI has generated added-value differentiated outputs, which makes the project unique and impactful. Taken together, the project results provide a unique Toolkit for Dialogues and International Cooperation in STI. The Toolkit frames the structures of exploitable results of the most relevant findings of GENDER STI, as follows:
a) Mapping on gender equality in STI bilateral and multilateral agreements. The mapping study based on the analysis of a sample of 528 STI agreements from 50 countries (including bi- and multilateral agreements, memorandums of understanding (MoU) and STI implementation activities), alongside insights gathered through a survey with 204 respondents and 80 in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders in Europe and third countries. Our findings show that only 15% of the identified agreements include gender-related content.
b) Co-design Labs tackling gender equality in STI worldwide. GENDER STI hosted a series of Co-Design Lab workshops to address three forefront challenges faced by women in STI that are at the core of the European Commission's gender equality strategy, i.e. gender equality in scientific careers; gender balance in decision making bodies and positions; and the integration of the gender dimension in R&I content.
c) Policy recommendations action plan. Built on collaborative effort of stakeholders, researchers, innovators, policymakers, and visionary individuals and organizations that advocate for gender equality in R&I, GENDER STI has developed a set of recommendations to foster gender equality in international STI dialogues and cooperation. The action plan outlines a strategic roadmap to translate the selected recommendations on gender equality in STI into concrete actions, encompassing clear responsibilities, timeframes, anticipated impact, and third parties involved.
d) The European Observatory on Gender in STI. The Observatory has been established to serve as a comprehensive and up-to-date source of information about gender equality in STI dialogues with third countries. The structure of the Observatory comprises four key areas: Gender Equality in international STI dialogues; Co-Design Labs & Gender Equality Solutions; Gender STI Community of Practice; and Resources.
e) Gender STI Community of Practice (CoP). The online Gender STI CoP gathers more than 200 members coming from different backgrounds spread worldwide. Members of the CoP serve as ambassadors to promote gender equality across European and third countries and to support informed discussion and reflection on gender equality.
f) Guidance for integrating the gender perspective in STI. GENDER STI has developed a series of publications, handbooks, training materials, guidelines and scientific papers that serve as guidance for stakeholders and provide insights and good practices for the integration of the gender perspective in STI dialogues and international cooperation in R&I.
g) Support to inclusive gender equality in international STI Dialogues. GENDER STI participated in the Gender Equality and Inclusiveness workshop held in April 2023, as part of the Multilateral Dialogue on Values and Principles for Research and Innovation (R&I) launched by the European Commission in July 2022. The event co-organised by the European Commission with Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Chile attracted around 80 participants from 39 countries and several European and international organisations.
a) Mapping on gender equality in STI bilateral and multilateral agreements. The mapping study based on the analysis of a sample of 528 STI agreements from 50 countries (including bi- and multilateral agreements, memorandums of understanding (MoU) and STI implementation activities), alongside insights gathered through a survey with 204 respondents and 80 in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders in Europe and third countries. Our findings show that only 15% of the identified agreements include gender-related content.
b) Co-design Labs tackling gender equality in STI worldwide. GENDER STI hosted a series of Co-Design Lab workshops to address three forefront challenges faced by women in STI that are at the core of the European Commission's gender equality strategy, i.e. gender equality in scientific careers; gender balance in decision making bodies and positions; and the integration of the gender dimension in R&I content.
c) Policy recommendations action plan. Built on collaborative effort of stakeholders, researchers, innovators, policymakers, and visionary individuals and organizations that advocate for gender equality in R&I, GENDER STI has developed a set of recommendations to foster gender equality in international STI dialogues and cooperation. The action plan outlines a strategic roadmap to translate the selected recommendations on gender equality in STI into concrete actions, encompassing clear responsibilities, timeframes, anticipated impact, and third parties involved.
d) The European Observatory on Gender in STI. The Observatory has been established to serve as a comprehensive and up-to-date source of information about gender equality in STI dialogues with third countries. The structure of the Observatory comprises four key areas: Gender Equality in international STI dialogues; Co-Design Labs & Gender Equality Solutions; Gender STI Community of Practice; and Resources.
e) Gender STI Community of Practice (CoP). The online Gender STI CoP gathers more than 200 members coming from different backgrounds spread worldwide. Members of the CoP serve as ambassadors to promote gender equality across European and third countries and to support informed discussion and reflection on gender equality.
f) Guidance for integrating the gender perspective in STI. GENDER STI has developed a series of publications, handbooks, training materials, guidelines and scientific papers that serve as guidance for stakeholders and provide insights and good practices for the integration of the gender perspective in STI dialogues and international cooperation in R&I.
g) Support to inclusive gender equality in international STI Dialogues. GENDER STI participated in the Gender Equality and Inclusiveness workshop held in April 2023, as part of the Multilateral Dialogue on Values and Principles for Research and Innovation (R&I) launched by the European Commission in July 2022. The event co-organised by the European Commission with Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Chile attracted around 80 participants from 39 countries and several European and international organisations.
The GENDER STI strategy has been to maximize the project impact through multiple channels and capitalising on the partners network multipliers across Europe and selected third countries to create a cascade effect that maximizes the project’s reach and visibility. Employing the cascade approach allowed GENDER STI to achieve meaningful impact and make the project results sustainable after its conclusion. In line with this strategy, GENDER STI has put in place a number of communication and dissemination actions crafted with target audiences in mind, including email and social media campaigns to key stakeholders across Europe and third countries, presentation of project results in the Co-Design labs, the final conference and satellite events, and the creation of the GENDER STI Community of Practice.
All together these actions have contributed to increase awareness and promote the EU gender equality objectives in STI international cooperation agreements and thereby to have a real impact on future policy recommendations. The Co-Design Labs activities, alongside the Final Conference on “Breaking Barriers: Advancing Gender Equality in International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation" and two virtual satellite events dedicated to “Intersectionality and Inclusion in International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation” and “The Legacy of GENDER STI - Gendered Content in International Research and Innovation” have contributed to greater awareness on the status of gender equality in bilateral and multilateral STI agreements and implementation activities and have allowed us to stimulate the debates around this challenge, raising awareness of gender equality among national stakeholders who were involved in international STI dialogues and of the importance to integrate the gender perspective in new agreements under negotiation.
All together these actions have contributed to increase awareness and promote the EU gender equality objectives in STI international cooperation agreements and thereby to have a real impact on future policy recommendations. The Co-Design Labs activities, alongside the Final Conference on “Breaking Barriers: Advancing Gender Equality in International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation" and two virtual satellite events dedicated to “Intersectionality and Inclusion in International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation” and “The Legacy of GENDER STI - Gendered Content in International Research and Innovation” have contributed to greater awareness on the status of gender equality in bilateral and multilateral STI agreements and implementation activities and have allowed us to stimulate the debates around this challenge, raising awareness of gender equality among national stakeholders who were involved in international STI dialogues and of the importance to integrate the gender perspective in new agreements under negotiation.