The European Commission’s commitment to promoting gender equality in research and innovation is essential to the European Commission’s broader Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, announced in March 2020. One of the goals of this strategy is to strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) to ensure equal opportunities in a working environment where all, regardless of gender, can develop their talents and to integrate the gender dimension in scientific projects better to improve the quality of research, as well as its relevance to a society based on knowledge, technology and innovation.
In line with the above, the legal basis of the Horizon Europe (HE) Framework Program for 2021-2027 supports the Commission’s work on gender equality in research and innovation by setting gender equality as a cross-cutting priority. This is evidenced by a number of provisions. According to Article 7(6) of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of the EU of April 28, 2021, the HE program „shall ensure the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all and gender mainstreaming, including the integration of gender in research and innovation content. The program strives to eliminate the causes of gender imbalance. Particular attention shall be paid to ensuring, as far as possible, gender balance in evaluation panels and other relevant advisory bodies, such as councils and expert groups.” In turn, in paragraph 53 of the same regulation, it can be read that activities carried out under Horizon Europe should „strive to eliminate gender bias and gender gaps, to improve the work-life balance and to promote equality between women and men in research and innovation, including the principle of equal pay without discrimination based on sex (…).” Similar provisions can also be found in the HE Specific Program. In light of the current legal provisions, three main changes have been made in Horizon Europe, which is ultimately intended to lead to an increase in gender equality among male and female researchers: having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) becomes an eligibility criterion for all public authorities, higher education institutions and research organizations wishing to participate in Horizon Europe;
inclusion of the gender dimension in the context of research and innovation is an implicit requirement, assessed under the excellence criterion unless explicitly stated otherwise in the topic description;
gender balance in research teams will be a conclusive criterion for grant proposals with the same number of ranking points.
The Institute already had internal regulations related to its internal anti-discrimination policy and implemented activities referring to it as part of the Human Resources Development Strategy (HRS4R).
The final version of the Gender Equality Plan of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute is ready. The document was developed with the active involvement of various groups of employees of the Institute.
Link to the Gender Equality Plan of IUNG-PIB:
Polish language: https://www.iung.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GEP_PL.pdf
English: https://www.iung.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GEP_EN.pdf