• Parenthood measure – National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (FR)

    In 2019, the CNRS’s West Occitan sector set up support measures for new parents, both mothers and fathers. An annual information day discusses parenthood (single parents, same-sex parents, evolution relationships within families, stereotypes, etc.). Individual interviews are also available for both mothers and fathers, before and after their parental leave. The objective is to support employees, improve work-life balance, and...

  • University kindergartens and children camps – Politecnico di Milano (IT)

    In 2015, a structured childcare service was installed at Polytechnic of Milan, one of the largest technical universities in Northern Italy. During the summer and Easter school holidays, on-site childcare is available for employees’ children aged four (first year of kindergarten) to 13 years (last year of junior high school) at the two Milan campuses. The cooperative Il Melograno has...

  • Updated regulations on remote work, care leave (up to three days without approval) – National Institute of Chemistry (SI)

    Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, some organisations had increased the availability of telework for a larger number of their employees (ZRC SAZU), or extended the option to work from home for a higher number of days (National Institute of Chemistry). This facilitates researchers to balance work and family life and organise their own time. The measure targeted employees of all...

  • Equal funding of innovations – VINNOVA (SE)

    The project VINNOVA addresses the unequal funding of research. Therefore, it works with three main areas linked to the questions of who, how and what. The ‘who’ dimension includes the work around who is being financed. The focus is on the project team and the gender composition, such as how many women and men are project leaders or the time...

  • Gender Budget Report – National Research Council (IT)

    The CNR published its first gender budget in 2020. The CNR is the largest public research organisation, with more than 9,000 employees. The report showed that the general composition of CNR staff is equally distributed, but a gap becomes evident in the subsequent career levels: 38 % of senior researchers and 26 % of research directors are women. That gap...

  • EPISODE VII: FUTURE IS FEMALE – Discussions with women in science & tech – BusinessFinland (FI)

    Diverse voices, skills and views are needed if technology is to serve everyone. Business Finland, together with national partners, led the discussion for more diversity, inclusion and equality in the science and technology that will transform everyday life. Episode VII of the webinar series discussed the lives, careers and experiences of women, who remain a minority in developing transformative technologies...

  • Equal by 30 – VTT (FI) (Campaign)

    Gender equality is at the heart of the global transition to a clean energy future. The Equal by 30 campaign is part of the Clean Energy, Education and Empowerment initiative (C3E), which works to advance women’s participation in the clean energy transition and to close the gender gap. The Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) is committed to promoting equality...

  • Equality Office – Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) (SE)

    KTH appointed a Vice-President for Gender Equality and Core Values ​​in 2017, whose task is to promote gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities. HEIs in Sweden must work according to several government objectives and legal obligations within the broader equality framework. KTH also set up an Equality Office to coordinate implementation and support different units and management levels. Through the Equality...

  • Establishing the Centre for Women’s Studies – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka (HR)

    The Centre for Women's Studies at the University of Rijeka’s Faculty of Philosophy was founded in 2016 and is the only formally confirmed academic centre of study for gender and feminist topics. The Centre links the academic and civil sectors, and is a platform for interdisciplinary domestic and international research. The Student-Teacher Association (Za-Pravo) within the University of Zagreb’s Faculty...

  • Introducing gender-sensitive language in the legal documents – Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana (SI)

    In May 2018, the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana changed its practice of writing official documents (regulations) using exclusively the masculine form. Instead, it uses an asterisk, denoting that this form is to be understood generically and refers to both women and men. The new rule (in place for three years) states that the regulations are to...

  • Project Crocodile – University of New Caledonia (FR)

    In 2019, the University of New Caledonia set up an exhibition on gender-based violence. Called “Project Crocodile”, it was based on cartoon drawings of situations encountered by young women. It also made and disseminated a film of visitors’ reactions that was widely disseminated, mobilised in a further event, and used for training. The objective was to have the issue widely...

  • Support program Equal opportunities – Fraunhofer Society (DE)

    In 2019, the Fraunhofer Society created the stimulus “BestChance” to raise awareness of gender equality measures that can be implemented in research organisations. Employees of the different institutes of the Fraunhofer Society can nominate and propose measures, teams, or a specific project or person in their institutes, and the winners receive EUR 3,000 prize money. BestChance increases the visibility of...