18-05-2009 Aarhus

Gender equality in science

European facts and figures

Florence BOUVRET European Commission

Research Directorate-GeneralDirectorate L Science, Economy and Society

Unit L.4 - Scientific culture and gender issues

• Background : Women in Science Policy - FP6 - FP7

• Where do we stand after 10 years? Figures...

• Latest activities: new studies and recommendations

• What next?

Where are we?

Women and Science Communication (1999) Sector/unit Women & Science DATA COLLECTION (public & private, enlarged EU,

etc) ANALYSIS: comparison of national policies,exchange

of knowledge… NETWORKING PROMOTION: Role models, embassators,

mentoring… GENDER WATCH SYSTEM (internal to DG RTD) POLITICAL FORUM (Helsinki Group) EXPERT GROUPS (esp. WIRDEM, Statistical

correspondents, industrial sector…)

Excellence and Innovation - Gender equality in science (2005)

Council Conclusions of 18 April 2005

Gender Pact (European Council 23/24 March 2006)

Main Steps in policy development

40%

25%

Increasing the NUMBER of women in science through:• Monitoring (She Figures, and Gender Watch internally)• Working conditions (WLB, Partnership for Researchers)• Reaching out to schools to combat early stereotypes• Network promotion (EPWS) • Women in Industrial Research• Ambassadors of science, mentoring• Gender management in research organisations

MAINSTREAM gender in research:• Inter-service working group on gender implications in

different research fields (transports, nanotechnologies, health …)

• Gender Reporting in FP funded projects (part of regular reports)

Women in Science in FP6FP6 2002-2006 - 18M€ in 4

years

Women in Science FP7FP7 2007-2013 -16 M€ in 3 years

Wider scope, impact and public engagement … organisational changes

• 2007

•Meta-analysis on gender and research (horizontal / vertical segregation)•Survey on positive action schemes for women in decision-making (EU, USA, Australia, Canada) •Gender training and toolkits for FP7

• 2008 •Expert group “Gender and Excellence” on grant and funding systems, transparency and accountability•Gender management in organisations, best practices

• 2009

•Mobilising and engaging other stakeholders in the debate on gender in science ( S&T centres and museums)•Changes in the organisations

• 2010 and beyond …Actions to implement the changes

• Background : Women in Science Policy - FP6 - FP7

• Where do we stand after 10 years? Figures...

• Latest activities: new studies and recommendations

• What next?

Where are we?

1. SHE FIGURES 2009 leaflet

2. GENDER EQUALITY REPORT (internal data) - see website

Data and Analysis

44 4443 43

42

39 3937

36 36 3635

33 3332 32 32

30 30 30 3028 28

2726

25

18 18

12

21

4547

49

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50%

Proportion of female researchers, 2006

66

6059 57

53 53 53 52 51 50 50 49 49 47 47 47 47 4645 44 44 43 43

42 41 41 4039 39 38 38

36 36

2725

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70%

Proportion of female PhD (ISCED 6) graduates, 2006

Academic Career?Men and Women

EU-27, 2002/2006

Definition of grades: A-The single highest grade/post at which research is normally conducted within the institutional or corporate system, B -Researchers working in positions not as senior as top position (A) but more senior than the newly qualified PhD holders, C-The first grade/post into which a newly qualified PhD (ISCED6) graduate would normally be recruited within the institutional or corporate system. Headcount.

59

36

19

41

64

81

41 40

33

16

55

484445

45

52 565554

46

58

4246

5459 60

67

84

0

20

40

60

80

100

ISCED 5A Students ISCED 5A Graduates ISCED 6 Students ISCED 6 Graduates Grade C Grade B Grade A

%

Women 2006 Men 2006 Women 2002 Men 2002

Science and Engineering Men & Women

EU-27, 2002/2006

3134

36 3633

22

11

6966

64 6467

78

89

9

91

17

29

363330

34

83

71

676466

70

0

20

40

60

80

100

ISCED 5A Students ISCED 5A Graduates ISCED 6 Students ISCED 6 Graduates Grade C Grade B Grade A

%

Women 2006 Men 2006 Women 2002 Men 2002

Grade A - The single highest grade/post at which research is normally conducted, Grade B - Researchers working in positions not as senior as top position (A) but more senior than the newly qualified PhD holders, Grade C - The first grade/post into which a newly qualified PhD (ISCED6) graduate would normally be recruitedISCED 6 – Advanced higher education programs (PhD)ISCED 5A – Basic higher education programs (Bachelors and Masters) leading to access to advanced university studies (PhD)

29

28

24 23

22

21 20 20 20

19 19 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 17

14 14

13 13

12 12

11

31

26

25

18

20

11

18

17 17

14

16 16

17

16

14

15

12 12

10

11 10

8

10

8 8

6

22

910

1111

32

26

34

9

23

17

9

20

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

%

2007 2002

Proportion of women in grade A academic positions, 2002/2007

• Background : Women in Science Policy - FP6 - FP7

• Where do we stand after 10 years? Figures...

• Latest activities: new studies and recommendations

• What next?

Where are we?

Contract: meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of gender in research (2M € - 30 months - contract till 29/10/2010) Consortium led by CIREM - Spain Production of a database on European gender research of

the last 25 years Vertical segregation Horizontal segregation Causes and effects http://www.genderandscience.org

Country group reports expected this summer Final analysis in 2010

Contract: Gender toolkit & training

Gender toolkit and training activities (€700,000 - 24 months) Consortium led by Yellow Window - Belgium Preparation of a gender toolkit on 9 FP7 themes with case

studies for each theme 4 information seminars in Brussels about the project Training sessions to start in autimn 2009 for NCPs,

researchers, project coordinators, any interested party.

DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION (leaflet available)

http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/

Benchmarking of policy measures for gender equality in

science

• Updates previous Helsinki Group report on National Policies on Women and Science in Europe (2002)

• Covers EU-27 + Iceland, Israel, Norway, Croatia, Switzerland, Turkey, in addition to five Western Balkans countries

• Mapping of current gender equality measures• Identify and analyse the success of key women and

science policies and actions• Produce national statistical profiles• Analyse success of identified policies and actions

• - Sex-disaggregated analysis on access to research funding

• No very systematic pattern on success rate by sex was found• However there are gender patterns (e.g. women are less likely to

apply for funding than men and they request smaller amounts of money)

• Measures implemented in pro-active countries include targets or quotas; and integrated policies that increase university funding based on universities performances in terms of gender equity.

• Final recommendations from the group:– Taking the gender challenge seriously (positive actions and

political will)– Increasing funding applications from women researchers– Improving gender balance among “gatekeepers” of research

funding– Gender monitoring and publishing of qualitative and

quantitative indicators, broken down by discipline and research instruments

– Improving accountability and transparency in allocation of research funding (publications of procedures and criteria, conflict of interest of evaluators, etc.)

The gender challenge in research funding

Assessing the European national scenes

Women in S&T

Expert group on Women in Science & Technology (2007-2008): creating sustainable careers

• Several studies within the private sector • Business case of policies for

reconciliation of private and professional life: how to stop the leaky pipeline through work-life balance (WLB)?

Flexitime (WLB tool) requires broader view on career and heavy workload management

Need a change in corporate culture

• Background : Women in Science Policy - FP6 - FP7

• Where do we stand after 10 years? Figures...

• Latest activities: new studies and recommendations

• What next?

Where are we?

STRUCTURAL CHANGES

Programs aimed at increasing numbers of women in science

generally attempt to fix the women… to make them competitive…

But is not enough…you also have to fix the administration …”

Londa Schiebinger

• 2005: Charter for Researchers and Code of conduct for recruitment of researchers

• 2007: Comparative study on positive actions in Europe and third countries at

institutional and national level • 2008: “Better careers and more mobility: European

Partnership for Researchers”• 2008: Gender management in research organisation: identify

and promote best practices • 2009: Modernisation of universities HR management• 2009: Awareness raising among public and private

institutions • 2009: Involvement of public at large in the debate on gender

in science

Fixing the ADMINISTRATION

Conference Prague 14-15 May 2009Changing Research Landscapes to make the

most of human potential - 10 years of EU activites on women and science - and beyond

Stock-taking of 10 years’ activities on women in science

Comparison with third countries’ experiencesDefinition of steps forwards

A milestone

• General Commission website: • http://www.ec.europa.eu

• Women and science (part of science, economy and society): • http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/

• FP7: • http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7

Thank you for your attention!