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  • Menu
  • Gender mainstreaming
    • What is Gender mainstreaming
      • Policy cycle
    • Institutions and structures
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        • #3 Steps Forward
          • How can you make a difference?
        • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
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    • Toolkits
      • Gender Equality Training
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Equality Training
        • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
        • Who should use Gender Equality Training
        • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
            • 1. Assess the needs
            • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
            • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
            • 4. Write good terms of reference
            • 5. Select a trainer
            • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
            • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
            • 8. Invite others to join in
            • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
            • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
            • 11. Assess long-term impacts
            • 12. Give space and support others
        • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
        • Gender Equality Training in the EU
        • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
        • More resources on Gender Equality Training
        • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Impact Assessment
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Impact Assessment
        • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
        • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
          • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
          • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
          • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
          • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
          • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
        • Following up on gender impact assessment
        • General considerations
        • Examples from the EU
            • European Commission
            • Austria
            • Belgium
            • Denmark
            • Finland
            • Sweden
            • Basque country
            • Catalonia
            • Lower Saxony
            • Swedish municipalities
      • Institutional Transformation
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Institutional Transformation
          • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
          • Gender organisations
          • Types of institutions
          • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
          • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
        • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
          • Motivation model
        • Who the guide is for
        • Guide to Institutional Transformation
            • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
            • 9. Developing gender equality competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
            • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
            • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
        • Dealing with resistance
          • Discourse level
          • Individual level
          • Organisational level
          • Statements and reactions
        • Checklist: Key questions for change
        • Examples from the EU
            • 1. Strengthening accountability
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing methods and tools
            • 9. Developing Competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching action plans
            • 12. Promoting within an organisation
            • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
      • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
        • Back to toolkit page
        • WHAT
          • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
          • Terms and definitions
          • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
          • About the Gear Tool
        • WHY
          • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
          • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
          • Why change must be structural
          • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR action toolbox
            • Work-life balance and organisational culture
            • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
            • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
            • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
            • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
            • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
            • Data collection and monitoring
            • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
            • GEP development and implementation
            • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
          • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
          • Challenges & resistance
        • WHERE
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Croatia
          • Cyprus
          • Czechia
          • Denmark
          • Estonia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Hungary
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Latvia
          • Lithuania
          • Luxembourg
          • Malta
          • Netherlands
          • Poland
          • Portugal
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • United Kingdom
      • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is the tool for?
        • Who is the tool for?
        • How to use the tool
        • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
          • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
            • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
            • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
            • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
          • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
            • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
            • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
            • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
          • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
            • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
            • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
          • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
            • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
            • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
          • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
            • Domain 1 – Symbolic meanings of spaces
            • Domain 2 – Gender equality in external communication and representation
        • How gender-sensitive are parliaments in the EU?
        • Examples of gender-sensitive practices in parliaments
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
          • Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
          • Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
          • The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
          • The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
        • Glossary of terms
        • References and resources
      • Gender Budgeting
        • Back to toolkit page
        • Who is this toolkit for?
        • What is gender budgeting?
          • Introducing gender budgeting
          • Gender budgeting in women’s and men’s lived realities
          • What does gender budgeting involve in practice?
          • Gender budgeting in the EU Funds
            • Gender budgeting as a way of complying with EU legal requirements
            • Gender budgeting as a way of promoting accountability and transparency
            • Gender budgeting as a way of increasing participation in budget processes
            • Gender budgeting as a way of advancing gender equality
        • Why is gender budgeting important in the EU Funds?
          • Three reasons why gender budgeting is crucial in the EU Funds
        • How can we apply gender budgeting in the EU Funds? Practical tools and Member State examples
          • Tool 1: Connecting the EU Funds with the EU’s regulatory framework on gender equality
            • Legislative and regulatory basis for EU policies on gender equality
            • Concrete requirements for considering gender equality within the EU Funds
            • EU Funds’ enabling conditions
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 2: Analysing gender inequalities and gender needs at the national and sub-national levels
            • Steps to assess and analyse gender inequalities and needs
            • Step 1. Collect information and disaggregated data on the target group
            • Step 2. Identify existing gender inequalities and their underlying causes
            • Step 3. Consult directly with the target groups
            • Step 4. Draw conclusions
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 3: Operationalising gender equality in policy objectives and specific objectives/measures
            • Steps for operationalising gender equality in Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes
            • General guidance on operationalising gender equality when developing policy objectives, specific objectives and measures
            • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Partnership Agreements
            • Checklist for putting the horizontal principle of gender equality into practice in Operational Programmes
            • Examples of integrating gender equality as a horizontal principle in policy objectives and specific objectives
          • Tool 4: Coordination and complementarities between the EU Funds to advance work-life balance
            • Steps for enhancing coordination and complementarities between the funds
            • Step 1. Alignment with the EU’s strategic engagement goals for gender equality and national gender equality goals
            • Steps 2 and 3. Identifying and developing possible work-life balance interventions
            • Step 4. Following-up through the use of indicators within M&E systems
            • Fictional case study 1: reconciling paid work and childcare
            • Fictional case study 2: reconciling shift work and childcare
            • Fictional case study 3: balancing care for oneself and others
            • Fictional case study 4: reconciling care for children and older persons with shift work
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 5: Defining partnerships and multi-level governance
            • Steps for defining partnerships and multi-level governance
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 6: Developing quantitative and qualitative indicators for advancing gender equality
            • Steps to develop quantitative and qualitative indicators
            • ERDF and Cohesion Fund
            • ESF+
            • EMFF
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 7: Defining gender-sensitive project selection criteria
            • Steps to support gender-sensitive project development and selection
            • Checklist to guide the preparation of calls for project proposals
            • Checklist for project selection criteria
            • Supplementary tool 7.a: Gender-responsive agreements with project implementers
          • Tool 8: Tracking resource allocations for gender equality in the EU Funds
            • Ensuring gender relevance in EU Funds
            • The tracking system
            • Steps for tracking resource allocations on gender equality
            • Step 1: Ex ante approach
            • Step 2: Ex post approach
            • Examples of Step 2a
            • Annex 1: Ex ante assignment of intervention fields to the gender equality dimension codes
            • Annex 2: The EU’s gender equality legal and policy framework
          • Tool 9: Mainstreaming gender equality in project design
            • Steps to mainstream gender equality in project design
            • Step 1. Alignment with partnership agreements’ and Operational Programmes’ gender objectives and indicators
            • Step 2. Project development and application
            • Step 3. Project implementation
            • Step 4. Project assessment
          • Tool 10: Integrating a gender perspective in monitoring and evaluation processes
            • Steps to integrate a gender perspective in M&E processes
            • Additional resources
          • Tool 11: Reporting on resource spending for gender equality in the EU Funds
            • Tracking expenditures for gender equality
            • Additional resources
          • References
          • Abbreviations
          • Acknowledgements
      • Gender-responsive Public Procurement
        • Back to toolkit page
        • Who is this toolkit for?
          • Guiding you through the toolkit
        • What is gender-responsive public procurement?
          • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender equality?
          • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender budgeting?
          • Five reasons why gender-responsive public procurement
          • Why was this toolkit produced
        • Gender-responsive public procurement in practice
          • Legal framework cross-references gender equality and public procurement
          • Public procurement strategies cover GRPP
          • Gender equality action plans or strategies mention public procurement
          • Capacity-building programmes, support structures
          • Regular collaboration between gender equality bodies
          • Effective monitoring and reporting systems on the use of GRPP
          • Tool 1:Self-assessment questionnaire about the legal
          • Tool 2: Overview of the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
        • How to include gender aspects in tendering procedures
          • Pre-procurement stage
            • Needs assessment
            • Tool 3: Decision tree to assess the gender relevance
            • Preliminary market consultation
            • Tool 4: Guiding questions for needs assessment
            • Defining the subject matter of the contract
            • Choosing the procedure
            • Tool 5: Decision tree for the choice of procedure for GRPP
            • Dividing the contract into lots
            • Tool 6: Guiding questions for dividing contracts into lots for GRPP
            • Light regime for social, health and other specific services
            • Tool 7: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
            • Tool 8: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
            • Reserved contracts
            • Preparing tender documents
          • Procurement stage
            • Exclusion grounds
            • Selection criteria
            • Technical specifications
            • Tool 9: Decision tree for setting GRPP selection criteria
            • Award criteria
            • Tool 10: Formulating GRPP award criteria
            • Tool 11: Bidders’ concepts to ensure the integration of gender aspects
            • Use of labels/certifications
          • Post-procurement stage
            • Tool 12: Checklist for including GRPP contract performance conditions
            • Subcontracting
            • Monitoring
            • Reporting
            • Tool 13: Template for a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan
        • References
        • Additional resources
    • Methods and tools
      • Browse
      • About EIGE's methods and tools
      • Gender analysis
      • Gender audit
      • Gender awareness-raising
      • Gender budgeting
      • Gender impact assessment
      • Gender equality training
      • Gender-responsive evaluation
      • Gender statistics and indicators
      • Gender monitoring
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      • Gender-responsive public procurement
      • Gender stakeholder consultation
      • Sex-disaggregated data
      • Institutional transformation
      • Examples of methods and tools
      • Resources
    • Good practices
      • Browse
      • About good practices
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    • Country specific information
      • Belgium
        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
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        • Overview
      • Sweden
        • Overview
    • EIGE’s publications on Gender mainstreaming
    • Concepts and definitions
    • Power Up conference 2019
  • Gender-based violence
    • What is gender-based violence?
    • Forms of violence
    • EIGE’s work on gender-based violence
    • Administrative data collection
      • Data collection on violence against women
        • The need to improve data collection
        • Advancing administrative data collection on Intimate partner violence and gender-related killings of women
        • Improving police and justice data on intimate partner violence against women in the European Union
        • Developing EU-wide terminology and indicators for data collection on violence against women
        • Mapping the current status and potential of administrative data sources on gender-based violence in the EU
      • About the tool
      • Administrative data sources
      • Advanced search
    • Analysis of EU directives from a gendered perspective
    • Costs of gender-based violence
    • Cyber violence against women
    • Femicide
    • Intimate partner violence and witness intervention
    • Female genital mutilation
      • Risk estimations
    • Risk assessment and risk management by police
      • Risk assessment principles and steps
          • Principle 1: Prioritising victim safety
          • Principle 2: Adopting a victim-centred approach
          • Principle 3: Taking a gender-specific approach
          • Principle 4: Adopting an intersectional approach
          • Principle 5: Considering children’s experiences
          • Step 1: Define the purpose and objectives of police risk assessment
          • Step 2: Identify the most appropriate approach to police risk assessment
          • Step 3: Identify the most relevant risk factors for police risk assessment
          • Step 4: Implement systematic police training and capacity development
          • Step 5: Embed police risk assessment in a multiagency framework
          • Step 6: Develop procedures for information management and confidentiality
          • Step 7: Monitor and evaluate risk assessment practices and outcomes
      • Risk management principles and recommendations
        • Principle 1. Adopting a gender-specific approach
        • Principle 2. Introducing an individualised approach to risk management
        • Principle 3. Establishing an evidence-based approach
        • Principle 4. Underpinning the processes with an outcome-focused approach
        • Principle 5. Delivering a coordinated, multiagency response
      • Legal and policy framework
      • Tools and approaches
      • Areas for improvement
      • References
    • Good practices in EU Member States
    • Methods and tools in EU Member States
    • White Ribbon Campaign
      • About the White Ribbon Campaign
      • White Ribbon Ambassadors
    • Regulatory and legal framework
      • International regulations
      • EU regulations
      • Strategic framework on violence against women 2015-2018
      • Legal Definitions in the EU Member States
    • Literature and legislation
    • EIGE's publications on gender-based violence
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      • Overview of the toolkit
      • First steps towards more inclusive language
        • Terms you need to know
        • Why should I ever mention gender?
        • Choosing whether to mention gender
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        • Stereotypes
          • Avoid gendered pronouns (he or she) when the person’s gender is unknown
          • Avoid irrelevant information about gender
          • Avoid gendered stereotypes as descriptive terms
          • Gendering in-animate objects
          • Using different adjectives for women and men
          • Avoid using stereotypical images
        • Invisibility and omission
          • Do not use ‘man’ as the neutral term
          • Do not use ‘he’ to refer to unknown people
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          • Greetings and other forms of inclusive communication
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        • Quiz 1: Policy document
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        • Quiz 3: Legal text
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    • Work-life balance in the ICT sector
      • Back to toolkit page
      • EU policies on work-life balance
      • Women in the ICT sector
      • The argument for work-life balance measures
        • Challenges
      • Step-by-step approach to building a compelling business case
        • Step 1: Identify national work-life balance initiatives and partners
        • Step 2: Identify potential resistance and find solutions
        • Step 3: Maximise buy-in from stakeholders
        • Step 4: Design a solid implementation plan
        • Step 5: Carefully measure progress
        • Step 6: Highlight benefits and celebrate early wins
      • Toolbox for planning work-life balance measures in ICT companies
      • Work–life balance checklist
    • Gender Equality Index 2019. Work-life balance
      • Back to toolkit page
      • Foreword
      • Highlights
      • Introduction
        • Still far from the finish line
        • Snail’s-pace progress on gender equality in the EU continues
        • More women in decision-making drives progress
        • Convergence on gender equality in the EU
      • 2. Domain of work
        • Gender equality inching slowly forward in a fast-changing world of work
        • Women dominate part-time employment, consigning them to jobs with poorer career progression
        • Motherhood, low education and migration are particular barriers to work for women
      • 3. Domain of money
        • Patchy progress on gender-equal access to financial and economic resources
        • Paying the price for motherhood
        • Lifetime pay inequalities fall on older women
      • 4. Domain of knowledge
        • Gender equality in education standing still even as women graduates outnumber men graduates
        • Both women and men limit their study fields
        • Adult learning stalls most when reskilling needs are greatest
      • 5. Domain of time
        • Enduring burden of care perpetuates inequalities for women
        • Uneven impact of family life on women and men
      • 6. Domain of power
        • More women in decision-making but still a long way to go
        • Democracy undermined by absence of gender parity in politics
        • More gender equality on corporate boards — but only in a few Member States
        • Limited opportunities for women to influence social and cultural decision-making
      • 7. Domain of health
        • Behavioural change in health is key to tackling gender inequalities
        • Women live longer but in poorer health
        • Lone parents and people with disabilities are still without the health support they need
      • 8. Domain of violence
        • Data gaps mask the true scale of gender-based violence in the EU
        • Backlash against gender equality undermines legal efforts to end violence against women
        • Conceptual framework
        • Parental-leave policies
        • Informal care of older people, people with disabilities and long-term care services
        • Informal care of children and childcare services
        • Transport and public infrastructure
        • Flexible working arrangements
        • Lifelong learning
      • 10. Conclusions
    • Sexism at work
      • Background
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        • Where does sexism come from?
        • Sexism at work
        • What happens when you violate sexist expectations?
        • What is sexual harassment?
        • Violating sexist expectations can lead to sexual harassment
        • Under-reporting of sexual harassment
      • Part 2. Test yourself
        • How can I combat sexism? A ten-step programme for managers
        • How can all staff create cultural change
        • How can I report a problem?
        • Eradicating sexism to change the face of the EU
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  • HOW

Gender Equality in Academia and Research

PrintDownload as PDF
  • Back to toolkit page
  • WHAT
    • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
    • Terms and definitions
    • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
    • About the Gear Tool
  • WHY
    • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
    • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
    • Why change must be structural
    • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
  • HOW
    • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
      • Step 1: Getting started
      • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
      • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
    • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
      • Step 1: Getting started
      • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
      • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
      • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
    • GEAR action toolbox
      • Work-life balance and organisational culture
      • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
      • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
      • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
      • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
      • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
      • Data collection and monitoring
      • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
      • GEP development and implementation
      • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
    • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
    • Challenges & resistance
  • WHERE
    • Austria
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  • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
  • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies

Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan

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Monitoring and evaluation are important parts of the change process. As you know by now, a gender equality plan (GEP) will typically address several issues at once, leading to a complex set of measures. Nonetheless, effective monitoring and evaluation tools enable you to measure progress towards achieving the objectives, and provide an opportunity to learn and find out what needs to be improved. If objectives are oriented towards relevant progress, success or outreach indicators, it becomes visible whether the organisation is actually changing.

This might also increase the commitment of stakeholders to those objectives, and the accountability of those who implement the GEP. Having an appropriate monitoring and evaluation plan in place can support the effective implementation of measures, ensure accountability, and enhance your knowledge and understanding of ongoing changes. This way, you also know whether adjustments to your GEP are needed.

Besides these logical arguments for considering monitoring and evaluation from the very beginning, it is also a GEP requirement in Horizon Europe. You need to be aware that, in order to be eligible for Horizon Europe, ‘it is mandatory that organisations collect and publish disaggregated data on the sex and/or gender of personnel (and students, where relevant) and carry out annual reporting based on indicators’ (see Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans, pp. 23–27).

More explicitly, it is specified that ‘research funding organisations will need to examine their application evaluation procedures and consider the organisation’s broader programming and decision-making processes in terms of the outcomes and impact of funding decisions and associated policy frameworks that impact on gender equality in R & I [research and innovation]’ (see Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans, p. 14).

While this step comes only after planning and implementing your GEP, as laid out in the step-by-step guide (because that is when you start monitoring the effects of your measures), you need to know that the monitoring and evaluation strategy needs to be set out beforehand.

Ideally, you considered which areas you want to focus on in step 2 when analysing and assessing the status quo in your organisation. In step 3, you then identified specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-related (SMART) targets and measures addressing these areas. In order to develop a monitoring and evaluation strategy, use the status quo assessment as a starting point. The results of this assessment will establish the baseline, which will allow you to monitor and evaluate your progress.

Understand the basics of monitoring and evaluation

In order to develop an effective monitoring and evaluation strategy, you need to differentiate between monitoring targets and evaluation targets. In order to understand the difference, consider the following definitions, used by the gender equality monitoring tool (pp. 3–8) of the EU-project ‘Taking a reflexive approach to gender equality for institutional transformation’ (TARGET).

The tool defines monitoring as a continuous process, in which data is systematically collected in order to provide management and key stakeholders with regular updates on the progress and achievement of objectives and the use of allocated funds.

Evaluation, on the other hand, relates to a systematic and objective assessment of an ongoing or completed project, programme or policy based on the monitoring data, providing lessons learnt for the planning of future measures.

In other words, ‘Monitoring ensures that the right thing is done, while evaluation ensures that the right outcomes are achieved’ (TARGET gender equality monitoring tool, p. 3), which means that the two go hand in hand. But as you can see from the definitions above, their specific targets differ: the monitoring targets focus on the specific outputs and related processes (implementation level), while the evaluation targets relate directly to the targets set out in your GEP (i.e. to the impact or outcome you wish to achieve) (strategic level). This is also why the respective time frames differ: while an evaluation is a more in-depth analysis, usually conducted at the end of your GEP or funding cycle (of course, interim evaluations are possible), your monitoring targets will be assessed at much shorter intervals, to inform you about the progress. Remember that Horizon Europe requires annual monitoring reports.

The factors that need to be considered in order to identify monitoring targets also generally apply to the evaluation level. However, know that achieving the desired outputs (as shown by the monitoring) does not necessarily lead to an achievement of the desired outcome or impact (as shown by the evaluation). This might be the case, for instance, if the measured output to increase the number of reviewers who participated in gender training was reached to a certain percentage, but the training was not effective enough to ensure the desired outcome of increased gender competence among reviewers.

The monitoring and evaluation indicators that you will identify are concrete variables that you can measure in order to assess if a monitoring or evaluation target was reached. For more information on how the different dimensions relate to each other, consult the gender equality monitoring tool directly.

Create a monitoring and evaluation strategy

Now that you know about the basics of monitoring and evaluation (and the difference between the two), you can think about a concrete strategy. Note that it is always helpful to involve people who have experience with monitoring and evaluation in this process. You can also check how it was performed in other organisations, by looking at the examples in the gender equality in academia and research (GEAR) action toolbox.

When coming up with a strategy, use the logic model you identified in step 3 (embedded in a theory of change): the impact pathway of the measures implemented will help you identify what you want to monitor and evaluate. As for the details of your strategy, you need to differentiate between monitoring and evaluation. Consider the following steps in order to come up with a monitoring strategy.

  • Identify concrete output indicators. For this purpose, take a look at your GEP and your status quo assessment and identify output indicators for each of your measures. A list of potential indicators is provided below. Consider that the collection of the relevant data needs to be feasible with the resources available to you.
  • Select appropriate data collection instruments. Know that, in general, these will be the same instruments used in step 2 for your status quo assessment. Some data might be available on a regular basis from the human resources department, other data you might have to collect yourself. For this purpose, you can conduct an annual survey of staff to monitor change, for instance. The gender equality audit and monitoring (GEAM) tool provides ready-to-use surveys (implemented via LimeSurvey) for this purpose.
  • Come up with a time frame. Your monitoring should take place annually, including annual monitoring reports published on the organisation website to meet the Horizon Europe requirements.
  • Plan regular monitoring sessions. Involve the core and/or extended team responsible for your GEP. These meetings can be crucial for reflecting on the progress by looking at the monitoring data and exchanging experiences. This way, you will be able to react to potential issues and steer your measures in the desired direction.

As for creating your evaluation strategy, the general process will be similar, but some things need to be considered in more depth.

  • Think about the context. When planning the evaluation of your GEP, you need to consider the context of your organisation. Relevant context factors were discussed in step 1. As the evaluation is more extensive than your annual monitoring, you need to consider, in particular, the time and (human and financial) resources available to you. These will also depend on the type and size of your research funding body.
  • Identify additional impact indicators. While you will also consider output indicators in your evaluation, it will also focus specifically on the impact of your implemented measures. Make sure to include both quantitative and qualitative indicators, as some measures cannot be properly assessed only by looking at quantitative figures (e.g. number of cases of sexual harassment reported to / dealt with internally and in funded projects, increased gender awareness of researchers and staff, inclusive knowledge production). Additional criteria on the gendered impact could be on the gender proportion of first authors of research reports or publications.
  • Use additional (qualitative) data collection instruments. In your final evaluation, you may want to add additional data collection instruments, such as individual interviews, focus groups, participatory workshops, document analyses or participant observation. These qualitative techniques allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of your measures.
  • Take your monitoring results into account. You will carry out your evaluation at the end of your GEP cycle. In your final data analysis, also include the results of your monitoring process.

Keep in mind that monitoring and evaluation should not be a huge burden for you; they are a chance to learn, and therefore time needs to be invested to ensure the success of your measures. When drawing upon external expertise to carry out your monitoring and evaluation process, we recommend bringing together these external evaluators and the people in charge of implementing change within the organisation to ensure that instruments are adapted to your goals and constraints.

For additional resources on how to plan your monitoring and evaluation process, take a look at the tab ‘Tools and resources’.

Identify quantitative indicators

A list of quantitative indicators (as suggested by the Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans) was provided in step 2, separated by internal and external stakeholders. The same indicators should be considered for continuously monitoring progress in your organisation.

Of course, the list is not exhaustive and indicators should be selected according to your specific targets and objectives, and in the context of your planned measures. An illustration of how to identify indicators regarding (1) gender in decision-making and (2) integrating gender in R & I content has been specified for research bodies by the European Commission project TARGET.

Possible context and implementation indicators for gender in decision-making for internal stakeholders are as follows:

  • shares of women and men members of decision-making bodies;
  • shares of women and men members of decision-making bodies who have participated in specific gender training and capacity building;
  • number of gender training and capacity-building courses for members of decision-making bodies;
  • self-assessment of increase in gender competence (e.g. through feedback surveys after training courses);
  • share of women among newly appointed members of decision-making bodies.

Possible context and implementation indicators for gender in decision-making for external stakeholders are as follows.

  • share of women in evaluation panels in relation to men;
  • shares of women and men evaluators who have participated in specific gender training and capacity-building courses;
  • number of gender training and capacity-building courses for evaluation panel members;
  • share of members of evaluation panels with gender competence (e.g. men and women who have participated in gender training);
  • share of women among newly appointed evaluation panel members.

Possible context and implementation indicators for the integration of the gender dimension into R & I content are as follows.

  • description of calls in relation to the integration of gender (calls with focus on gender, calls that include integrated gender analysis as an aspect in research, calls that do not explicitly address the sex/gender dimension);
  • description of (lack of) gender expertise in evaluation panels;
  • gender composition of research teams (share of women in research teams);
  • number of funded projects with a gender focus in relation to all funded projects (share of gender projects);
  • numbers of women and men participants (applicants, reviewers) in awareness-raising activities or training on gender in R & I.

Based on the targets set out in your GEP, specific indicators need to be developed to establish a baseline and monitor progress. Such indicators help to build accountability for the successes or failures of implemented measures. The ‘Evaluation framework for promoting gender equality in research and innovation’ (EFFORTI) toolbox can support you in identifying quantitative (and qualitative) indicators to measure the output, outcome and impact of your measures.

You may also want to consider breaking down the data even more and looking into additional dimensions besides gender: looking at intersectionality can include individual or group features, such as a migrant or minority background, disabilities, low socioeconomic status or at risk of poverty, sexual orientation, and so on. Pay special attention to data protection issues if you plan on breaking down the data into small groups. Consider also any national regulations on collecting personal data.

Look at the tab ‘Tools and resources’ for examples of quantitative indicators identified by other organisations and resources provided by structural change projects.

Identify qualitative indicators

Qualitative indicators are especially relevant to see whether your desired outcomes were reached. However, qualitative indicators can also give additional information on your ongoing progress and help you understand the dynamics of change (or lack thereof). Qualitative indicators may look at dimensions such as the following.

  • Mainstreaming of gender knowledge. This can be measured, for instance, by the relevance given to knowledge creation on gender equality within the organisation, the institutionalisation of gender equality (in the form of dedicated programmes or departments), the dissemination of gender equality knowledge across disciplines, and so on.
  • Awareness among different categories of staff and external stakeholders (reviewers, board/panel members, applicants). This can be measured by the attention given to gender equality by different categories of stakeholders through communication initiatives, codes of conduct and activities centred on gender-related aspects. 
  • The uptake of gender equality objectives set in your GEP. This can be monitored by observing the participation in and acceptance of your implemented measures and the (human and financial) resources allocated to support these measures.
  • The actual transformation towards greater gender sensitivity. This should focus on the effects on both formal and informal practices due to the implemented measures. It may, for instance, be shown by increased attention being given to women’s ideas and perspectives in decision-making mechanisms that are dominated by men, or by implementing evaluation criteria in a gender-sensitive manner.
  • The diffusion of a gender equality culture. This can be measured in terms of changing working conditions, but also verbal and non-verbal interactions and decision mechanisms (seating arrangements in panels). It could be reflected in changes regarding the management of work–life balance, awareness of sexual harassment and other aspects of gender-based violence, non-sexist communication, and so on.

Know that qualitative indicators have a huge learning potential. They support self-reflexivity and may provide useful indications for a continuous enhancement of the implemented measures. They may also provide evidence that change happens and that gender equality and awareness are not out of reach. Techniques to collect qualitative data include individual interviews, focus groups, participatory workshops, document analyses and participant observation.

Implement your strategy and communicate the results

To help with the implementation of your monitoring and evaluation instruments, EU-funded structural change projects have developed a number of useful templates and ready-to-use resources. Switch to the tab ‘Tools and resources’ to view the full list. The ‘Gender equality in engineering through communication and commitment’ (GEECCO) data monitoring tool, for instance, provides an Excel template that includes indicators for a variety of targets, detailed definitions, formulas to calculate shares and other useful options. You may also want to take a look at the GEAR action toolbox for best-practice examples of monitoring and evaluation in other organisations.

Once you have collected and analysed the data, you can check if there have been any (significant) changes since your initial status quo assessment (baseline). You should also assess whether the monitoring and evaluation targets have been met. Discuss the results with your team and draw conclusions on what they mean for your GEP. During your monitoring, you might want to check whether you need to adjust some of your targets or the way that measures are implemented. During the final evaluation, you need to ask yourself what you can learn for the next GEP cycle.

Finally, you need to communicate your results.

  • Provide annual monitoring reports as well as a final evaluation report. These reports should be published on the organisation website. The number of evaluation periods and reports depends on your individual strategy.
  • Regularly update leadership/management about the results. This will be done through your annual monitoring and final reports. However, you might also want to involve them in meetings or update them more regularly, depending on your organisational structure.
  • Inform other stakeholders within your organisation. It is not just the leadership that is interested in the progress of change in your organisation. Make sure to communicate the results to all relevant stakeholders. You might also want to keep them engaged by organising a meeting to present and discuss the results of your analysis (e.g. after the final evaluation of your GEP). Note that the monitoring and evaluation process is also an effective way to keep stakeholders (including leadership/management) engaged and to ensure their ongoing support for your measures. It also paves the way for the future by helping you design even more resolute measures for your next GEP.
  • Consider external stakeholders. Your communication can also target policy stakeholders at regional or national level, professional associations or other institutional partners of your organisation.

When communicating the impact of your measures, know that there might be other positive side effects (or added value) of your implemented measures: the entire process may lead to a strengthened sense of community; more transparent recruitment, appraisal and evaluation procedures; stronger pluri-disciplinarity in research; and improved working conditions in general. All of this may be uncovered by your monitoring and evaluation process. In particular, your final evaluation will show the positive dynamics brought about by gender mainstreaming strategies and their inherent opportunities. Making these positive side effects visible can help strengthen your position and build the foundation for the next GEP cycle.

In order to view videos and webinars or further tools and resources on the topics discussed in step 5, switch between the respective tabs. Otherwise, click below to continue to the next step and read about how to ensure the sustainability of your measures. You can also go back to the previous step.

  • The EU-funded project SPEAR prepared video presentations to help practitioners understand the steps involved in the process of implementing a GEP. The videos are based on the steps provided in this GEAR step-by-step guide. Note that there are also tasks for you to perform at the end of some of the videos, to check your understanding of the topics.
    GEAR tool – steps 5 and 6
  • The ‘Promoting gender balance and inclusion in research, innovation and training’ (PLOTINA) monitoring tool provides a useful tutorial on how to use the tool.
  • The ACT GEAM tool also provides useful training videos. 

The following are general tools and resources to be used by all research organisations. Funding bodies may find them particularly helpful for addressing internal stakeholders and processes. Specific tools and resources for funding bodies can be found in the action toolbox in Section 4.3.10.

Guidelines for creating a monitoring and evaluation strategy

  • To get an idea about indicators for research bodies that are relevant to decision-making and the integration of gender in R & I, have a look at the EU-funded project TARGET.
  • To assess structural change, the EU-funded project ‘Transforming organisational culture for gender equality in research and innovation’ (GENOVATE) has developed comprehensive guidelines for evaluating gender equality action plans. These guidelines have several specific features:
    • they fully take inputs from the evaluation literature into account, carefully identifying the steps of the evaluation process and defining a theory of change adapted to the project’s purpose;
    • they also draw upon the insights from the critical analysis of gender mainstreaming implementation in a number of domains, thus highlighting the specific hindrances and resistance faced by social and organisational change aiming to achieve gender equality;
    • furthermore, they focus on three fundamental dimensions of change: ideas, structures and people.
  • Another very comprehensive guide was written in the course of the EU-funded project GenderTime, entitled A model for building a gender equality index for academic institutions. This 2016 guide addresses the problem of measuring gender equality in academia. It starts by defining the problems and arguing for the importance of appropriate monitoring and evaluation, then provides detailed definitions and, finally, introduces different approaches. It also describes in detail how to build a system of indicators.
  • The EFFORTI toolbox provides a framework for ‘a wide range of stakeholders – ministries, funding agencies, programme owners, equality officers, etc. – to conduct a sound and comprehensive evaluation of gender equality, but also research and innovation outputs, outcomes and impacts of gender equality measures’.
  • The ‘Gender equality in information science and technology’ (EQUAL-IST) project published a report based on the experiences of monitoring and evaluating GEPs in seven research-performing organisations. The report presents the assessment methodology and indicators used in the monitoring process and provides a monitoring template plan.

Examples of useful monitoring and evaluation indicators

  • The gender equality monitoring tool of the EU-funded project TARGET provides multiple examples of how to define indicators for different target areas. It builds on a logic model, showing the pathway from the input and set activities to the different outputs, outcomes and general impact. For each dimension in this model, example targets and indicators are provided.
  • The EU-funded project PLOTINA created a monitoring tool based on 10 core indicators and 40 specific indicators, which can be selected based on the focus of your GEP. Check out the full list of indicators.
  • The EU-funded project ‘Female empowerment in science and technology academia’ (FESTA) provided a thorough guide on quantitative indicators and methodology in its FESTA toolkit.
  • The ‘Gender equality network in the European research area’ (GENERA) planning–action–monitoring (PAM) tool can help you find measures, indicators and targets for GEPs in the field of physics. You can choose to click through the online tool or download the entire PAM tool as a PDF document.

Ready-to-use monitoring and evaluation tools

  • The PLOTINA monitoring tool is an online tool that can help you measure and visualise your progress over different periods. It consists of a virtual survey and a visualisation tool, presenting your data and an overall indicator. Watch the tutorial video in the tab ‘Videos and webinars’ to get started.
  • See also the GEAM survey by the EU-funded project ACT. The survey is readily available in multiple languages and is already programmed via LimeSurvey.
  • The EU-funded project GEECCO developed various evaluation and monitoring materials, including an Excel template and a PowerPoint tutorial for collecting and analysing sex-disaggregated data in research-performing organisations. The three core areas covered are (1) decision-making processes and bodies, (2) recruitment and career development of women researchers and staff and (3) the sex/gender dimension in research and teaching content.
  • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
  • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?

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