National impact plans 2021
17.6.2021
In February 2020, GENDERACTION organised a mutual learning workshop on communication and impact building for members of the GENDERACTION consortium. Consortium members were asked to compile and implement their national impact plan and update it for the year 2021. The aim of the impact plans is to use the GENDERACTION outputs and support or initiate progress in gender equality in research and innovation in their countries. What has been achieved in the first half of 2021?
Austria
The GENDERACTION team at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research focused on the improvement of the impact of gender equality measures. Their comprehensive plan contains 5 sub-goals and 22 tasks. Several workshops and meetings were organised, others are being planned. The aim of the team is dissemination and discussion of the criteria of good practice, presentation and discussion of European requirements on gender equality plans, further development of indicators, finding gender experts for consultations, creation of a manual for the development of gender equality plans or realisation of a survey on status quo of recommendations for gender equality at research performing organisations.
Cyprus
The main goal of Cyprus’ National impact plan is to build organisational capacity to mainstream gender equality both at the government and research funding organisation level. Specifically, the aim is to: increase awareness among policymakers, further enhance the capacity of the National contact points and exchange of best practices and learn from more advanced countries. Activities that are underway are trainings, workshops and meetings, promotion of gender-sensitive language, dissemination of relevant information and invitation to gender equality events.
Czechia
The Czech team successfully addressed Czech national authorities with a call for joining the GENDERACTION & GEARING-Roles campaign #SpeedUpChange on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021. On February 11, the Czech Academy of Sciences, Technological Agency, Research, Development and Innovation Council, Office of the Government and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports contributed with their tweets and helped to increase awareness about gender equality in research. The team currently cooperates with a member of the Research, Development and Innovation Council on the creation of a gender coordinators network in research funding organisations and provides training and consultations to research performing organisations interested in gender equality plan design. In March 2021, the new Strategy of Equality between men and women for years 2021-2030 was released. As is the case of the National R&I policy for the years 2021-2030 approved in summer 2020, the Strategy refers to GENDERACTION’s deliverable report on Monitoring of ERA priority 4 implementation.
Greece
The team from the National Documentation Centre (EKT) especially focused on disseminating the translated GENDERACTION policy briefs, on disseminating the new Horizon Europe gender provisions and on organising NCP webinars for the Greek R&I community.
Malta
The GENDERACTION team of Malta comprised of the University of Malta and the Office of the Prime minister set a goal to increase the number of female scientists and engineers in Malta by 2030 in their impact plan. In 2021, the team will organise events to target primary and secondary school girls and their teachers to work on gender stereotypes and introduce role models. Several working groups will be set up to co-design effective approaches to promote women’s careers in R&I and to support gender mainstreaming in the field. Mapping the increase of gender equality awareness and sharing of experiences among R&I organisations will go on too.
Poland
The Polish team in the National Information Processing Institute aims at disseminating knowledge on gender equality in science through innovative tools, at presenting and analysing data on European Research Area and ERA National action plans and at strengthening the role of research funding and performing organisations in embedding gender equality in national R&I system by stimulating bottom-up gender equality measures. The team plans to organise a workshop with EGET (the European Gender Equality Taskforce) with a focus to increase awareness about gender equality measures and experiences with its implementation.
Slovakia
The main goal of the Slovak Impact Plan is to prepare and start implementing a gender equality plan (GEP) at the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica as a good example for other Slovak universities and the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports. In autumn 2020, the working group for GEP was created and in spring and summer 2021, the data was collected and analysed. The next tasks are: establishing gender equality structures, promoting gender equality in institutional working culture, working on sensitive recruitment and career progression processes, promoting work-life balance and implementing the gender dimension in research and curricula.
Spain
The goal of the Spanish impact plan created by the team of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Cabinet of the State Secretariat for Universities is to increase the visibility and use of GENDERACTION outputs in the Spanish R&I system and contribute to shaping the Ministry’s recommendations on gender equality in research performing and funding organisations. Especially the policy briefs on structural change, disruptive measures, international cooperation in STI and gender equality at research funding organisations were disseminated.
Read about National impact plans in 2020