MLW for Danube and Balkan region
11.3.2020
On the 10th and 11th of March 2020, we organised jointly with Martina Hartl, a member of our Advisory Board on gender in international cooperation, a combined training and mutual learning workshop with members of national authorities and National Contact Points from the Balkan and Danube regions to discuss their countries’ concerns in terms of implementing a gender perspective in their national and international research and innovation policies.
Many of them cancelled given the circumstances but a total of 15 participants, including our facilitators, Marcela Linková and Averil Huck, made it to the University of Belgrade in Serbia. The participants came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Kosovo*, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia and Serbia.
We are happy to say that the training was fruitful. It allowed the participants to develop a better understanding of these regions’ successes and difficulties and to learn from each other.
Outcomes of the workshop:
- Recognition that in the Balkan and Danube region, gender balance among researchers and student body is not a problem. Continued issues lie in women’s access to decision-making positions, sexual harassment in Higher Education and a general lack of interest regarding gender issues in R&I.
- There was a shared feeling across the countries regarding the positive impact EU gender equality policies in R&I on the development of the region.
- Recognition of the necessity of building community involvement to help to advance gender equality in research and higher education.
- Networking
* This designation is without prejudice to the status and in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the opinion of International Court of Justice on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
