From 2010 – 2012, the Partners in the GENDERA initiative will strive to make a change to the balance of gender in research organisations in Europe. By raising awareness in a wide cross-section of today's society, GENDERA aims to re-address the balance of gender within research organisations and higher education organisations across Europe. The role of women in specific disciplines and in decision making positions will be strengthened through dialogue (the gender debate) and the implementation of best practices. From 2010 onwards, the GENDERA partners will collect, systemise and analyse existing policies and programmes in order to identify good practices that are already having a positive effect on ensuring that women get higher in research organisations and higher education institutions and achieve decision-making positions.
The project is supported by the European Commission under the FP7 Capacities programme.
GENDERA is coordinated by Tudományos és Technológiai Alapítvány (Hungary). Other partners in the project are the Center for European Initiatives and Research in the Mediterranean (Spain), National Documentation Centre/ National Hellenic Research Foundation (EKT/NHRF) (Greece), Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia), Univerzita Mateja Bela (Slovakia), Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (Austria), Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum (Germany), Agencia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea (Italy) and ORT Braude College of Engineering (Israel). The project information brochure can be downloaded here
Following the Green Paper public consultation, the proposed framework for research and innovation in HORIZON 2020 includes specific requirements for addressing the gender dimension in science. Policy makers across Europe will be negotiating the proposed framework, leading to its approval by the EU Council and Parliament.
The HORIZON 2020 framework states that: "The activities developed under Horizon 2020 should aim at promoting equality between men and women in research and innovation, by addressing in particular the underlying causes of gender imbalance, by exploiting the full potential of both female and male researchers, and by integrating the gender dimension into the content of projects in order to improve the quality of research and stimulate innovation”.
A specific gender equality Article has been included as part of the proposed structure, Article 15, which states that: “Horizon 2020 shall ensure the effective promotion of gender equality and the gender dimension in research and innovation content”.
On December 16th, genSET presented the Manifesto for Integrated Action on the Gender Dimension in Science and Innovation to the Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn. This Manifesto is the result of the public consultation that ran in conjunction with the 1st European Gender Summit (www.gender-summit.eu).
We invite you to read and sign it by going to http://bit.ly/rLS7cn, as an expression of your support, and to ensure that the gender dimension remains firmly integrated within HORIZON 2020 framework and programme.
xFurther information:
www.gender-summit.eu