Gender Action Plans Survey of the Contact Point „Women in European Research“

1. Gender Action PlansSurvey of the Contact Point „Women in European Research“ Nina Sartori EU-Büro des BMBF Frauen in die EU-Forschung (FiF)

2. Why Gender Action Plans? • To allow a better understanding of the gender dimension in research • To raise gender awareness among different categories of actors. • To increase women’s participation at all levels of the research workforce. • To highlight the responsibilities of all these actors in pursuing gender equality and implementing gender mainstreaming policies.

3. Starting point • GAPs part of NoEs and IPs • Lack of experience with the instrument • Projects have different commitment levels • Insecurity influences implementation • Theory is not connected to project activities

4. Objectives • What happens to the GAP during project implementation? • Exchange of experiences • Identification of information needs • Further development of the instrument • Development of support actions • Recommendations to Commission

5. FiF Survey • NoEs and IPs in Contract Database (169 IPs + 75 NoEs = 244, Stand: Feb.2005) • Contact with projects with German coordination and need for GAP (38) • Analysis of GAPs (27) • Search for Contact person, Gender responsible • Telefone interviews (30-45 Min.) (16) • Focus on preparation and implementation phase, efficiency and development of the instrument

6. FiF Survey Findings (1) Generally, planned measures include: • Recruiting strategies; statistics on women participation in the project and related monitoring; efforts to increase the numbers of women in management positions; • Creation of gender groups; informational events; monitoring of GAP implementation; use of gender-sensitive language; • Contacts to schools and universities; "Girl’s Day"; training programmes;

7. FiF Survey Findings (2) • Networking between women scientists; platforms for discussion (Internet, newsletters); creation of databases on women scientists; • Measures to promote and facilitate balancing of work and private life (child care, telecommuting, flexible working hours and videoconferences); customised GAPs at partner institutions; special mobility grants and prizes for women scientists. „Gender-Aspekte kann man gut in das Projekt integrieren, zugleich aber auch leicht ignorieren.“

8. FiF Survey Findings (3) • Lack of experience regarding gender mainstreaming in research projects. GAP implementation has proven to be difficult in practice • Commitment to GAP varies widely • Higher willingness to integrate gender aspects in research in projects in the 1st, 5th and 7th Priority Thematic Areas; partially also in projects in the 6th Priority Thematic Area • Scientific discussion on gender issues is seen to have little relevance to actual project practice, and it is carried out on a separate, theoretical level „Wir sind nicht dazu da, um uns für die Politik zu engagieren.“

9. FiF Survey Findings (4) • GAPs’ started process of creating awareness for gender equality in research projects • There is a discrepancy between planned and actually realized measures (ambitious aims are not in practice implemented). • The GAPs cause a conflict of interest for scientists between gender politics and scientific excellence (a common misunderstanding: the goal is not to promote "bad" women scientists, but to have gender competence as criterion of excellence in and of itself, and that only a gender-sensitive project can be excellent). • The success of the GAPs depends on the structure of the involved institutions and the composition of the consortium.

10. Recommendations (1) Advice for successful implementation of GAP’s • GAP implementation should take the relevant project's individual circumstances (such as the field concerned, the number and type of partner institutions concerned, etc.) into account • GAP measures should be integrated within the scientific discussion and never be separated from the research focus, in order to foster acceptance for gender-equality measures among scientists • Gender mainstreaming should not be implemented and managed as special support for women. Men should be included in the gender-equality discussion and in planned and implemented measures

11. Recommendations (2) • It is very important for projects to have good communication regarding gender-equality issues. Such communication is best initiated via kick-off meetings and other types of project meetings. • Contacts and exchanges of experience with other projects, especially projects from similar areas and disciplines, facilitate mutual learning and help projects to identify particularly suitable measures.

12. FiF Conclusions (Seminar June 30, 2005) • It is very important that the GAPs continue to be part of the gender mainstreaming strategy of the European Commission in the future. • To ensure gender equality in EU-research programmes in the long run, however, more efficient support and control measures will be necessary (GAP reporting). • Improved information (GAP guideline, GAP help desk) • More exchange (GAP network) „Der GAP bewegt etwas, indem er den Projekten eine Pflicht auferlegt, sich mit dem Thema auseinanderzusetzen.“

13. Contact Nina Sartori Cornelia Schneider EU-Büro des BMBF für das Forschungsrahmenprogramm Tel.: 0228/447-635 / -632 Email: nina.sartori@dlr.de cornelia.schneider@dlr.de http://www.eubuero.de/