Mutual Learning Workshop on structural change projects
30.4.2019
Astrid Schwarzenberger
On 25/26 March 2019, a Mutual Learning Workshop on “Best-practice exchange of EU-funded projects (FP7; SiS / H2020; SwafS) and SWG GRI to support institutional change” took place in Berlin in the context of the GENDERACTION project. Organised by the Contact Point “Women into EU research (FiF)”, the event gathered some 40 participants from 15 countries took part in the workshop; participants came from the European Commission, SWG GRI, SiS/SwafS projects and other stakeholders.
After opening words by Christina Hadulla-Kuhlmann from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and an overview of the GENDERACTION project by coordinator Marcela Linková, organizer Astrid Schwarzenberger briefly laid out the aim of the workshop, namely to come up with policy recommendations to both the European Commission and Member States / Associated Countries. With the help of carefully chosen facilitator Melanie Büscher, this aim was reached: by first establishing the requirements to achieve structural change both inside and outside the institutions, thus coming up with the critical success factors. Likewise, the most important barriers to structural change inside and outside of institutions were identified – as well as strategies to overcome them. Based on this, recommendations were formulated regarding six areas:
– budget and incentives
– legislation, rules and standards
– integration of gender analysis
– monitoring data and impact
– intersectional, non-binary approach
– inclusion of all actors (inclusing private sector)
The recommendations have already been presented at the GENDERACTION conference on the Future of GE in Research and Innovation on April 9 in Brussels and will be taken up in a policy brief as part of the GENDERACTION policy brief series.