Euro-Mediterranean research cooperation on gender and science:

SHE Euro-Mediterranean Research Area (SHEMERA)

Beyond The Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Role of Leadership in Structural Changes

European Women Rectors Platform and Istanbul Technical University  Istanbul 15-17 May 2014

Maria Caprile

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FP7 SiS 2010 call: Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on gender and science (May 2011-October 2014)

CONSORTIUMULB (Coord) Université Libre de Bruxelles Belgium BAY-KKY Bay Zoltán Hungary

EKT/NHRF National Documentation Centre / National Hellenic Research Foundation Greece ITU Istanbul Teknik Universitesi Turkey IDIS Fondazione IDIS - Città della Scienza Italy

AARC Arab African Research Center Egypt ASRT Academy of Scientific Research and Technology Egypt CIDDEF Association culturelle M’Barek Ait Menguelet Algeria

AU Alexandria University Egypt WSC Women’s Studies Centre - University of Jordan Jordan

RSS Royal Scientific Society Jordan USJ Université Saint-Joseph Lebanon UH2MC Université Hassan II Mohammedia-Casablanca Morocco

IWS Institute for Women’s Studies – Birzeit University Palestine ALEPPO Aleppo University Syria

FSB Faculty of Sciences - Université de Carthage Tunisia

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Objectives Enhancing research cooperation on gender and

science between the EU and the MPCs Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia

Research on three key themes Sex-disaggregated statistics in science Research on gender inequalities in scientific careers Gender equality policies in science

Networking and policy debate National seminars Euro-Mediterranean Workshop

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Concepts

Science Science understood in its broadest sense,

including social sciences and humanities as well as research and technological development

Gender equality in science Organisation: women’s balanced presence in

science Knowledge: mainstreaming sex and gender

analysis in basic and applied research

Structural change: Making research institutions more gender-aware

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MPCs – Gender equality and science

Great improvement in human development (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia); Impressive progress in gender equality in education and health

However - Women’s political and economic participation has not improved at the same pace

This trend is also applicable to science

Women are more present than ever in higher education and research, but remain severely underrepresented at the top of scientific careers

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MPCs – Gender equality and science

The situation of women in science is rather similar in the MPCs and the EU countries

although women’s access to higher education is a more recent trend in the MPCs

gender inequalities are higher in the MPCs

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Higher education

Female enrolment in HE EU: 70%; MPCs: below 60% Higher (as in EU) or slightly lower than the male rates (Egypt,

Syria and Morocco) Women’s share of graduates

As in EU, above 50% in all MPCs except Morocco (47%) Women’s share of PhD graduates

EU: 46% - from 26% to 62% MPCs: from 33% (Syria) to 56% (Tunisia)

Horizontal segregation High, but less salient than in EU - Science, mathematics and

engineering

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Researchers

Researchers in the labour force EU: 0.99% MPCs: far below, except Lebanon (1.13%)

Share of women’s researchers EU: 33% (from 21% to 52%) MPCs: From 25% (Palestine) to 39& (Egypt) Lowest in the private sector and highest in the government and higher

education sectors Horizontal segregation less marked in MPCs As in EU, female researchers are catching up with men (Lebanon,

Morocco and Syria) but not in Egypt

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Academic career

Proportion of women among the highest academic grade (Grade A)

EU: 20% (from 9% to 36%) MPCs: from 3% (Palestine) to 35% (Egypt)

The exclusivity, status and prestige associated with a grade A differ significantly across the MPCs - However women’s presence is always greater at the lower levels of the academic career

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Female heads of HES institutions

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Proportion of women on boards

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Raising awareness Women in science: Time to recognise the obvious

Address to the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Sciences for theDeveloping World, 2005, EgyptProf. Ismail Seralgedin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

“Why should we be concerned by the inadequacy of the representation of women among practicing scientists?

For two separate and distinct reasons. First, it is one more domain where the obstacles to women’s

advancement are manifesting themselves, and should be overcome, as part of the ongoing struggle to get the rights of women recognized as inalienable human rights.

Second, science itself and the practice of science, is ill served by biases of any kind, and this pernicious discrimination is one that must be ended.”

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Raising awareness Women’s Initiative at the Arab Science and Technology

Foundation (ASTF) - 2004 To facilitate networking between individuals and institutions

active in the field; To provide further opportunities for young Arab women through fellowships and mentoring.

First conference “Arab Women in Science and Technology: Empowerment for the Development of the Arab World” (2009)

Second conference “Arab Women in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development” (2014)

Women in science activities International debates and events on gender equality in science Networks in some MPC countries (Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia) To encourage girls to pursue SET studies; facilitate networking

of scientists; promote studies on women in science and research; support women in scientific careers

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Raising awareness International Conference on Women in Science and Technology in the Arab Countries (2013) Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)

Women have made significant advances in science and technology professions during the past decades. However, they often lag behind men in pay, access to resources, and opportunities for promotion and advancement into leadership positions.

While their numbers in university science programs are at historic highs, a growing body of research shows that a host of cultural pressures, family responsibilities, and professional frustrations drive too many young women out of scientific careers. This has high costs for the women, but also for national institutions, economies and societies

Dr. Samira Omar, Vice President of OWSD and Arab Region Program Director

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Time for action Scarce policy initiatives – National and institutional

level High participation and rich debate at the

SHEMERA national workshops Euro-Mediterranean Workshop (May 29-30 2014,

Naples)

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Thank you!