GENDERACTIONplus: A new project to advance gender equality in the European Research Area

The kick-off meeting of the GENDERACTIONplus project, which took place on 8-10 June 2022, at the Institute of Sociology the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, was attended by the National Documentation Centre (EKT), which is one of the project partners. The GENDERACTIONplus project is funded by the European research and innovation programme Horizon Europe and will last 36 months. EKT participates in actions related to the recording of existing gender policies, the formulation of proposals for gender equality in research as well as the updating of the National Contact Points on gender issues in research.

The project consortium consisting of 26 organisations operating in 21 European countries, in accordance with the new research agenda of the European Research Area (ERA), will focus on the following five thematic areas: (a)  intersectionality and inclusion, (b) gender-based violence in academia, (c) gender dimension in Research & Innovation, (d) monitoring of gender equality actions at Member State level in the new ERA, including the development of a monitoring mechanism and indicators, and (e) the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of gender equality plans as the main instrument to promote inclusive institutional changes in the new ERA.

Also, GENDERACTIONplus aims to ensure, support, and promote gender equality and inclusion. More specifically, the project aims to eliminate gender inequality and reduce socio-economic inequalities- including those based on disability, nationality, and LGBTIQ + - through research and innovation systems. In particular, the project is going to strengthen the effort to integrate gender equality in the new European Research Area, promoting it in the European Research and Innovation System.

"It is vital that gender equality continues to be one of the priorities in the new ERA. We have seen major advances at the policy level  in the EU  overall and in some European countries in recent years, but we also know we can do better. Gender-based violence and sexual harassment  continue to be  a major problem, and we need to develop better tools to address intersectionality and diversity. Another important issue is the monitoring and evaluation of gender equality plans, and their impact, since they are now an eligibility criterion for Horizon Europe. This is a great opportunity to advance on all these topics in a great and motivated European consortium," said project coordinator Marcela Linkova.

The GENDERACTIONplus project is based on the Horizon 2020 GENDERACTION project implemented from 2017 to 2021 (in which EKT also participated), the work of the (Standing Working Group on Gender in Research and Innovation, SWG GRI) and the work of the FORGEN Community of Practice RFOs developed in the ACT project implemented 2018 to 2021.

EKT’s actions for women’s participation in research

EKT has always served the goal of gender equality in the fields of research & development and innovation by participating in policy-making research projects, producing statistics, recording young researchers, and highlighting their achievements.

EKT’s activities, which started in 2007, focus on documentation, information, consultation and networking, to support  the participation of women in research projects, the development of female entrepreneurship, and the promotion of innovation. More specifically, in the context of the PERIKTIONI Network and the project ‘Mapping  the Scientific Area of the Greek Women Research Personnel’ (2007), EKT carried out, for the first time, an extensive census of Greek women researchers.

Since then, EKT has been involved in a number of European projects aimed at enhancing women’s participation in R&D through appropriate policy-making at European and national level, as well as at the level of individual research bodies.

As the National Authority of the Hellenic Statistical System, EKT collects data to capture the Greek system of Research, Technology, Development, Innovation , and in this context has included the statistics on women’s participation in research and development in the list of national statistics it publishes.

At the representation level, EKT is a national representative to the ERAC Standing Working Group on Gender in Research and Innovation (ERAC SWGGRI). At the same time, EKT is the statistical representative of the country for the flagship publication of the European Commission ‘She Figures’ and systematically records the participation of women in the fields of research, development, and innovation, both at European and national level. Finally, through its targeted publications, it emphasizes the link between indicators and specific policies, helping to improve the effectiveness of public policies on gender equality

Last but not least, EKT, meeting the modern requirements and following the plans that have been prepared both at national (National Action Plan for gender equality 2021-2025) and at European, level (Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2025, Gender equality in the European Research Area), has drawn up and published the gender equality plan which is its practical action plan to promote equal opportunities for women and men.