Gender Equality is an increasingly critical issue upon which the European Commission is focused. Many observatories for monitoring and facing gender inequalities are active and operational at different scales on the European continent, from the local to the European level. These observatories are characterized by their respective purposes, themes, data collections, geographical dimension, and depth of study on specific topics.
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, a partner of the R&I Peers project, configured the R&I Peers Observatory (link: https://ripgep.eu/OBSERVATORY) as an online and dynamic resource aiming to provide a global vision and facilitate access to the various observatories that are already working in Europe on Gender Equality. The R&I Peers Observatory enables access to Observatories on Gender Equality from the organisation to the European level, as well as to News and Projects on Gender Equality.
Contribution to the online observatory is encouraged through a participatory approach. Once registered, participants can add news or even a new observatory. Information on the R&I Peers Observatory is strictly moderated and verified with a view to ethics, appropriateness, etc.
R&I PEERS – ANPR Flagship Event: Gender equality facing the challenges of the R&I ecosystem – The GENDER EQUALITY PLAN of the National Agency for scientific Research Promotion
Through the ambitious R&I PEERS project, the National Agency for scientific Research Promotion (ANPR) in Tunisia, has succeeded in developing its Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which respects the Guidelines proposed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and adheres to the European Commission format. This document has been externally reviewed by members of an International Advisory Board, appointed by the European Commission.
To share this achievement with the stakeholders of the R&I ecosystem, ANPR organized a flagship event in the form of a seminar entitled “Gender equality facing the challenges of the R&I ecosystem: The GENDER EQUALITY PLAN of the National Agency for scientific Research Promotion”, on June 30, 2022, at the cultural space of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR). The opening of the seminar and the welcome address were jointly provided by Prof. Chedly ABDELLY, the Director General of ANPR and Prof. Francesca ROMANA D’AMBROSIO, representing the University of Salerno, the coordinator of R&I PEERS project.
The first session on “Cross-experiences on the Gender approach in R&I”, was an opportunity to shed light on the flagship experiences, in terms of the gender approach, maintained within the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and its institutions. For that, a first framing presentation on “The integration of the Gender approach in the public policies of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research” was provided by Mrs. Habiba TALBI, the Director General of the Budget Management by Objectives Unit and the Representative of the Ministry on the Interministerial Council of Peers.
Immediately afterwards, a specific presentation on “The ANPR’s Gender Equality Plan: genesis and perspectives” was shared with the public present by Mrs. Amani MAHJOUBI CHARRAD, the coordinator of the R&I PEERS project at the ANPR level. This was an opportunity for the public to discover the details of the first GEP developed by a public administration in Tunisia.
The transition was with a presentation on “The Gender Cell of the University of Sousse: motivations and aspirations”, the first and only Tunisian University having structured the gender dimension. This inspiring presentation was provided by Mrs. Insaf BEKIR, founding member of the Gender cell and the Director of IHEC of Sousse (University of Sousse).
A conceptual and illustrated review of “Gender and Limiting Beliefs” was provided by Dr. Hafsi BEDHIOUFI, HDR Lecturer in Sociology, from the University of La Manouba. The first session was closed with a presentation on “Women and the Environment”, given by Mrs. Farah MNEKBI from the Center for Research, Studies, Documentation and Information on Women (CREDIF).
At the end of these presentations, a debate was triggered between speakers and participants focusing on the contours, the state of the art and the achievements of the gender dimension within the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and its institutions.
The second major part of the seminar was dedicated to the second session, that the objective is to promote networking between the representative actors of the R&I ecosystem in order to fertilize their respective experiences on the gender approach and this, to evolve “ Towards a pooling of efforts for an anchoring of the Gender approach”.
The very first intervention in this context, focused on the policy level “The Gender Approach: The national strategy of the Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly” and was provided by Ms. Akila BENTAIB, in her capacity as Director of Women’s Affairs.
Ms. Boutheina HAMMAMI, Program Coordinator at UN Women, ensured the transition, from the point of view of an international organization, to paint the panorama “The strategic axes of UN Women in Tunisia”.
A representative of the Arab Women’s Center for Training and Research (CAWTAR) was scheduled to speak on “Gender mainstreaming in economic research: the GERPA experience”, but for health reasons linked to the CORONA virus, Dr. Souleima MAJLEDI MANSOURI, Sociologist – Project Coordinator, could not ensure her intervention. From the perspective of the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ), Mrs. Rihab BEN YAGHLANE, Technical Expert of the Project “Support for Accelerated Tunisian Energy Transition-GIZ”, provided an intervention on “Gender & Energy – Multi-sectoral approach ».
As a last presentation, Pr. Habiba CHAABOUNI, Member of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts -Beit Al Hikma, concluded with an intervention that opens up perspectives on how “Building a career in research for women “
These presentations were crowned by a debate on development paths, with and for R&I actors, having gender sensitivity as a common denominator. This debate has put into perspective, a collective intelligence for potential synergies and new initiatives in this area. Indeed, a range of strategic and operational recommendations were noted, such as the establishment of a working group and inter-institutional gender monitoring unit, working on advocacy with decision-makers, setting up collaborative projects on gender (Horizon Europe and others).
In addition, the Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly is committed to bringing together stakeholders to maintain this excitement and perpetuate this dynamic around the gender approach.
On the sidelines of this flagship event, a tribute was awarded to talented and shining Tunisian Researchers Women, distinguished by their research work: Prof. Faouzia CHARFI (Senior Researcher) and Dr. Hasna Ellouzi (Early Stage Researcher), each received a Statue of a woman, made by the pottery of Sajnane. Note that Sajnane pottery is recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. These prizes have a symbolic value and convey messages of inclusion, solidarity and complicity between both researchers and rural women.
The seminar was closed on a high note by both Ms. Francesca MALAGUTI, the Gender Focal Point at the Delegation of the European Union in Tunisia and Dr. Helmi MARDASSI, the Director General of the Management Unit for European R&I Programmes who recalled that the GEP is a prerequisite to participate in the Horizon Europe Programme.
In conclusion, the embroidery of the ANPR’s Gender Equality Plan, which remains a perfectible, evolving and dynamic document, is an inspiring pilot experience able to constitute a strength of proposal and/or influence of the public policies of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the structures under its supervision and other stakeholders’ institutions, far beyond!
Between December 2020 and June 2021, R&I PEERS project partner Confindustria Salerno, carried out a study through its Plural Women’s Committee to measure gender equality among organizations in its network that are engaged in RD&I activities. The completed report was disseminated among Confindustria association stakeholders in a series of events, meeting and workshops, and an executive summary of the outcomes is now available for download.
As part of the survey, a matrix of indicators was developed across seven clusters, and a questionnaire submitted to companies with internal research and innovation roles. Forty-two private sector organizations participated in the study, including those that directly carry out periodic or continuous R&I activities, as well as those that are involved in partnerships with research institutions and universities.
To download an Executive Summary of the Confindustria Gender Equality study results in English (7MB PDF), please follow the link below.
On 21 March 2022, the R&I PEERS project announced the “COGE: Contest on Gender Equality” competition, inviting young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are studying in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Israel, Slovenia, Spain or Tunisia, to submit a video of up to three minutes long describing their experiences, knowledge, perception and proposals for Gender Equality.
Information about the competition—including application form, rules for participation, and contact—is available online at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/COGE
Deadline for submitting completed videos: Midnight 31 May 2022 Central European Time
The R&I PEERS project partners include the Greek General Secretariat for Demographic and Family Policy and Gender Equality, the Digital Leadership Institute of Belgium, the Confindustria association, and seven Universities and Research Institutions from Europe and the Mediterranean. The project is coordinated by the University of Salerno in Italy.
The project “Pilot Experiences for Improving Gender Equality in Research Organizations – R&I PEERS” has been funded under the HORIZON 2020 program (GA 788171) and aims to create and evaluate pilot experiences from a gender perspective which do not limit the participation and career of women in Research and Innovation.
The National Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research (ANPR) of Tunisia is a public agency under supervision of The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Its primary mission is providing services to professionalize the management of research activities in partnership with effective and equitable socio-economic operators. It plays a crucial role in interfacing with and supporting research organization in the valorization process of research results and technology transfer. As a Research Funding Organization (RFO), ANPR works in a national context, which recognizes the important historic place occupied by women in society in general, and in the field of science in particular.
IEEE: Female Researchers in the Maghreb
Tunisia has always been considered as one of the most advanced Arab countries in terms of women’s rights, thanks to a family code promulgated in 1956, followed by the amendment of the labor codes, the penal code and nationality. These legal regulations have strengthened the rights of women in Tunisia.
March 1, 2018 marked the formal adoption of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) by ANPR, which represents a fundamental action of R&I PEERS project and a key tool for encouraging the improvement of gender balance in ANPR, in its capacity as a Tunisian piloting partner in the project.
The ANPR GEP covers the following six target areas:
Mentoring
Raising awareness of gender bias in decision-making bodies
Raising awareness of importance of gender perspective in research content and curricula and promoting female academics ’research
Improving gender-sensitive language in ANPR’s documents
Work-life balance
Raising awareness of gender equality
In the framework of the GEP implementation, ANPR has carried out awareness-raising actions by organizing workshops and training for the benefit of key actors, including mentors, decision-makers, et al. ANPR promotes awareness of the role of women in the R&I ecosystem and showcases achievements of female Tunisian researchers through participation in several national and international events. This latter includes hosting a desk for the RI-PEERS project as part of an exhibition on Horizon 2020 projects at the 9-10 September 2019 high-level conference on “Tunisian-European Science and Innovation Days” [TESI], jointly organized by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS), European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD), and the Delegation of the European Union (DUE) in Tunisia.
Who Are Women
ANPR also participated in the January 2020 international Information Day on Horizon 2020 Calls within the H2020 “Science With and For Society” (SWAFS) Work Programme, by providing testimony on the RI-PEERS project and underlining the importance of the gender dimension in research organizations. Leveraging modern communication tools, ANPR also moderates a dedicated Facebook Group promoting “Success Stories of Tunisian Females in Research and Innovation”.
A community for equal opportunity has also been established that provides a space for discussion and reflection around gender issues in the R&I ecosystem. Thanks to the period of general confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, ANPR was able to experiment with remote work as an alternative favoring work-life balance, as provided for in the GEP, despite the legal limits of its adoption for public officials. The evaluation of this mode of work is in progress .
ANPR at Horizon 2020 SWaFS Information Day – January 2020
Other activities that are planned for implementation by the end of the R&I PEERS project include the following:
Regular training sessions for early career researchers;
Awarding of the Women in Science Excellence Prize; and
Establishing channels to report anonymously disrespectful behavior, abuse and sexual harassment.
The GEP is an innovation in the practices of Tunisian public administration in general, and in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research institutions in particular. Its implementation raises many challenges that can inspire other structures within the same ministry and far beyond!
The Gender Equality Plan (GEP) of the University of Salerno–elaborated in the framework of R&I PEERS project, and approved by the Academic Senate and Board of Directors–is a comprehensive document offering a clear and focused strategy on gender equality for a university made up of more than 40.000 people. It is organised around six target areas whose achievement will be monitored through selected indicators:
Gender Perspective in Research and Curricula;
Improving use of gender-sensitive language;
Work-life balance;
Raising awareness of gender equality in UNISA;
Mentoring;
Reducing gender gap in decision-making bodies.
The GEP intends to carry on the legacy of OGEPO (Interdepartmental Observatory for the Gender studies and Equal Opportunities) and the CUG (Unique guarantee committee for well-being in the workplace) that since 2011 are committed to the achievement of equality between women and men and well-being for all. Indeed, some of the GEP’s activities aim at reinforcing the already existing actions such as:
Courses on gender studies/gender equality;
Training on gender equality and diversity management for University administrative staff;
Initiatives on gender-based violence phenomenon;
Gender budgeting;
Nursery and summer camp for students and workers’ children.
The GEP’s activities aim at going one step further in order to define a broader strategy including a special attention to the STEM field. Among the envisaged actions, we can mentioned
Introduction of an interdisciplinary teaching on gender equality and diversity management in all PhD courses;
Mentoring sessions for female PhD students, research fellows and researchers;
Supporting activities for financing fellowships on gender equality.
In addition, a reach programme of international conferences and workshops has been included in the GEP in order to develop a lively debate among experts around some key issues concerning women and men in research (i.e. women in STEM; gender bias in decision-making bodies; feminine leadership; gender-sensitive language), and establish scientific partnerships between the University of Salerno and European research organisations on the matter.
At the second progress meeting for the R&I PEERS project, held in Athens on 4 April 2019, consortium members organised a workshop on “how to integrate the gender dimension into research content.” The aim of this training was to provide consortium partners with knowledge on how to integrate the gender perspective in research in a way that does not deal with the topic of “gender” as a specific research objective.
The aim of the Toolkit itself is to help researchers and teaching staff understand the relevance of gender to scientific inquiry by addressing questions to their past and future research/teaching trajectories. Using the Toolkit, then, the focus of the workshop was to:
Raise awareness about the value of integrating the gender dimension in research;
Examine how the gender perspective could lead open new opportunities research inquiry; and
Promote more socially responsible and sensitive scientific inquiry.
Starting from the premise that there are no ready-made solutions, the workshop participants were asked to describe a project that does not have gender component so the group could practice gender-sensitive approach from scratch. In this way, the workshop was structured as a thought exercise in which the convenor facilitated discussions on how a gender-sensitive approach could be applied on concrete project questions, methodologies, and results.
Workshop participants were evenly divided between those familiar with gender studies concepts and those from disciplines where exposure to such concepts is rare. This encouraged lively debate where, through exchange of knowledge between the groups, a notable achievement was an increase in understanding around the concepts of ‘gender’ and ‘intersectionality’.
The First Multisectoral Conference of the R&I PEERS project took place in Athens on 3 April 2019, and was attended by approximately sixty participants, including Ms Maria Theleriti, Member of Greek Parliament, who also represented Mr Nikos Voutsis, President of the Greek Parliament. The Conference was opened by Ms Marina Chrysoveloni, Greek Deputy Minister of the Interior in charge of Gender Equality and representative of Mr Alexis Charitsis, Greek Minister of the Interior, followed by introductory remarks from Ms Maria Rosaria Pelizzari of UNISA, R&I PEERS Project Coordinator.
A representative of Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (Italy) then discussed the importance of using correct indicators for Gender Equality Plans and the methodology employed for identifying these indicators. Ms Marta Artilles Viera, EC representative, then made a remote presentation outlining ERA guidelines and Project Objectives for the R&I PEERS project.
The conference also showcased two ongoing “sister” Gender Equality projects in Research and Innovation, also funded by Horizon 2020, that promote Gender Equality Plan implementation. Greek representatives of these projects, the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and the National Documentation Center (Greece), presented the project objectives and results achieved so far within the two discussed projects, noted below:
TARGET Project: SUPPORTING Gender Equality Innovating Institutions in the Mediterranean; and
Ensuing debate highlighted the need for networking among partners at national level and incentives to strengthen the diffusion of gender in research, including toward operation of research organizations.
Representatives of Galilee Research Institute (Israel) and Digital Leadership Institute (Belgium) subsequently spoke about the importance of an online platform for maximizing the impact of the project. And finally, a representative of the Neuroscience and Technology Institute (Cyprus) presented the Structured Democratic Dialogue methodology and explained its importance for participatory decision-making.
