Etan-main text

Science policies in the European Union
•
To provide a database of role models and mentors for individuals and
organisations that require them;
•
To take part in decision-making processes to contribute to the shaping of
scientific institutions and their culture;
•
To encourage employers of scientists to ensure that women have access to,
can return to and progress in scientific careers; to campaign for family-
friendly measures to be incorporated into fellowships and mobility
scholarships and for special projects in each Member State to facilitate
women’s return to scientific careers;
•
To lobby and take part in policy processes in order to improve the gender
balance in research and research policy as well as the position of women
in science and science policy.
The networks and organisations committed to the improvement of the
gender balance in research policy use different tools for communicating,
informing and lobbying. They recognise, however, the importance of
Internet-based tools and new technologies in that they make the
networking of networks easier and cheaper and facilitate the achievement of
networks’ objectives. Databases, newsletters and other conventional means
are useful tools especially at the local and national levels. Tools for public
outreach and regular and permanent contacts with journalists are also
relevant. Networks should consider themselves resources for the media. It is
important to develop benchmarking systems as well as auditing systems on
gender balance in the various institutions.
To improve the gender balance in research, the reasons for the actual
imbalance must be researched and analysed. Gender research on all aspects of
science (the contents, the methods and the processes) is crucial to produce
change. The exchange of knowledge between the different networks of
gender research specialists, women scientists, and equal opportunities policy
makers is important to identify efficient ways of solving the main problems
in the area of women, gender and science. It is also important for networks
of women scientists to establish links and partnership with the main
networks of scientists in the same field.
The European added-value is linked to all aspects of the rationale for
networking. It provides value to the members by bringing more women
scientists into the Fifth Framework Programme thus not only enriching the
research but also giving visibility to the research done by women scientists.
In addition, women scientists will benefit from the European scale in their
research activities. On the policy side, the European added value is three-
fold: (i) it strengthens each network by allowing an exchange of experiences
and good practice; (ii) it facilitates co-operation and consultation across
sciences, between women scientists and networks, which will allow for a
greater participation in the European Union policy process and public
debate; (iii) it encourages the development of European evaluation tools in
order to monitor the impact of current policies at both national and
European level on women in science.
Recommend
The development of tools by the networks:
•
Awareness and educational tools
: EU and Member States should support
the development of expert databases of women scientists and commission
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research on the databases held by networks on women in science.
•
Communication tools
: EU and Member States should support, fund and
provide training – if needed- for the development and use of the
Internet and new technologies for the dissemination of information and
communication with and between networks as well as improve the use of
traditional means of disseminating information and communication.
•
Lobbying and advocacy
: Information kits on FP5 and the importance of
women in science should be provided by the Commission and each
network could add its material too. These kits would be disseminated to
local and national political representatives. A mechanism that would
encourage local visits by women scientists to their political
representatives should also be developed. This could be done at the
national and European level.
•
Measurement tools
: EU and Member States should provide and facilitate
the benchmarking of networks organisations.
•
Tools to better network the networks
: EU and Member States, which use
networks on a professional basis for advice, expertise and dissemination of
information, should recognise and formally support the networks, as well
as the establishment of national nodes of existing networks.
The promotion of the link between gender research and the “women
and science” issue:
•
The networks should promote discussion on the definitions of science
and scientific quality.
•
The need for expert knowledge on questions of women, gender and
science should be inventorised.
•
The issues which are raised in the inventory should be implemented in
the next framework and, where possible, in the remaining part of FP5 ;
this means that there should be a dual approach to gender research:
mainstreaming and specific attention to gender research programs.
•
Journals of women scientists and gender research should be inventorised
in order to provide a common platform; the scientific journals among
these should be recognised as such.
The creation of a European network of networks on women and
science:
•
The European network of networks on women and science should
regroup existing networks of women scientists and organisations
committed to the improvement of the gender balance in research policy
from the European Union and from Eastern and Central Europe.
•
Such a network would exchange information in particular on European
and national legislation and programmes and would also give visibility to
the opinions of women scientists on all areas related to women in science.
It would also exchange experiences and strategies on a regular basis. The
creation of this network should be facilitated by the existing networks
themselves by including a European dimension in their work and
consultation.
•
The creation and maintenance of such a network should be supported
on a long-term basis by the European Union, in particular through
enabling women scientists to meet on a regular basis and allocating
resources for the maintenance of such a network.
Appendix 1I
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