1. SHIFT GEAR MAINSTREAMING GENDER INTO ACADEMIC & RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS
Barbara Limanowska
European Institute for Gender Equality

2. THE VISION Gender equal research sector
European Union benefits from the full pool of talent of the academic community
Academic community produces top-level research

3. GETTING THERE Address the challenges related to gender equality
Guide the way towards an institutional change
National policies to encourage research and higher education institutions
EU-supported GEPs tend to function as forerunners to integrate a gender perspective in research.

4. JOINT EFFORT
The GEAR tool is a joint initiative of DG Research and EIGE.
It was developed in consultation with stakeholders all over the EU and included:
Fieldwork in 28 EU Member States
Expert group meetings
Online discussions
Test-rounds

5. GENDER EQUALITY PLAN
Conducting impact assessment/audits of procedures and practices to identify gender bias.
Implementing innovative strategies to correct any bias.
Setting targets and monitoring progress.
A Gender Equality Plan is defined in the European Research Area as actions aiming at: 
First - conducting impact assessment/audits of procedures and practices to identify gender bias.
Then implementing innovative strategies to correct any bias.
And finally setting targets and monitoring progress.
A Gender Equality Plan is more than a mere commitment to gender equality. It involves an analysis and bases its actions upon the findings of an assessment of gender (in)equality and gender bias within the organisation. A Gender Equality Plan is not only a series of objectives and targets alone, but it also comprises a set of practical measures that should be monitored and evaluated. This set of actions is meant to address the internal structure and culture of the organisation, with the aim to achieve gender equality. 

6. THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Diversity is greater than convergence, large differences at MS level in terms of national legal and policy frameworks
Policies aimed at mainstreaming gender in research at the domestic level are important triggers for action.
Research institutions are much less likely to engage with GM implementation in the absence of national legal and policy frameworks.
So after the mapping of the policy frameworks in the Member States and existing GEPs, as well as in-depth consultations, what did we find out?
We found that there are large differences among MS in terms of National legal and policy frameworks for the integration of gender in research. For example, national frameworks still largely determine how gender aspects are tackled (or not) in research and higher education institutions.
We also found major differences in general anti-discrimination and gender equality legislation and policies, as well as those regulating science, innovation and higher education.
Policies aimed at mainstreaming gender in research at the domestic level (including sub-national self-governments in BE, DE, ES and the UK) are important triggers for action.

7. DOMESTIC TRENDS AND EUROPE-WIDE EFFECTS
Most legislative and policy steps have been taken over the past decade.
Most initiatives are taken by public research governing bodies, but private-driven initiatives such as the Athena-SWAN Charter or the L’Oréal-UNESCO award also play a significant role.
We also found out that most legislative and policy steps have been taken over the past decade.
Most initiatives are taken by public research governing bodies, but private-driven initiatives such as the Athena-SWAN Charter or the L’Oréal-UNESCO award also play a significant role.

8. THE GEAR TOOL
The GEAR tool has been designed to cover the whole process of reinforcing gender equality in academia and research.
It is focused on Institutional change as a strategy aiming at removing the obstacles to gender equality that are inherent to the research system itself and at adapting the practices of institutions. Within an institutional change approach, the focus is on the organisation.
In the European Research Area, research organisations and higher education institutions are invited to implement institutional change relating to human resources management, funding, decision-making and research programmes. The main objectives of institutional change are to enhance women’s representation and retention at all levels of their scientific careers and to promote the integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content.

9. GEAR TOOL CAN HELP The GEAR tool can help you by providing:
Information on EU and MS legal and policy frameworks
Sound arguments and benefits supporting the implementation of GEPs
A practical guide to structural change in academia and research organisations
So how can the GEAR tool help to bring about a real and lasting change in your research organisation?
Firstly, it provides information on EU and MSs with legal and policy frameworks encouraging the mainstreaming of gender into Academia and Research organisations. – It also brings together the latest developments and proposals in this area.
It offers sound arguments and benefits supporting the implementation of GEPs – This is especially important when facing resistance and scepticism.
It also offers a practical guide to structural change in academia and research organisations – which combine previous efforts by DG Research.

10. WHO IS IT FOR
GEAR tool is for people in public administration responsible for higher education and all staff in research and higher education institutions
The GEAR tool was designed for all staff in research and higher education institutions – including:
research and teaching staff
human resources
administrative and support staff
middle and top-level management
As well as for people working in public administration, responsible for higher education and research, as well as gender equality

11. WHAT IS IN THERE A practical definition of a gender equality plan
A how-to guide for setting up, implementing, monitoring and evaluating a gender equality plan
An action toolbox with tips, instruments and examples
Advocacy arguments
Background information
from the EU and national
levels
So what is actually in the GEAR tool?
You can find:
A practical definition of a gender equality plan
A how-to guide for setting up, implementing, monitoring and evaluating a gender equality plan
An action toolbox with tips, instruments and examples
Advocacy arguments
Background information from the EU and national levels

12. GENDER EQUALITY PLAN
The most critical step that needs to happen if institutional change is to be become a reality, is the implementation of a gender equality plan. The GEAR tool is a tailor-made for the academic and research sector. It gives you:
All you need to know about a gender equality plan - broken down into different stages.

13. A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
The GEAR tool makes your work easier, by explaining everything is six clear steps. That’s not to say that implementing a GEP will always be easy…however we have tried to make it as simple as possible.
Step 1. Getting started – From the outset, you need to have a good understanding of the context you are working in and the organisational culture. Finding support (and by that I mean all types of support – financial, from management and from staff) is crucial to the success of your GEP.
Step 2. Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution – This means reviewing relevant legislation and identifying policies and measures for GE, analysing sex-disaggregated data but also going more in depth, combining the gender analysis with other intersectional factors, (such as age and disability), carrying out surveys, interviews or focus groups with staff.
Step 3. Setting up a Gender Equality Plan – The findings from the analysis should help in this phase, this step sets out the basic elements to be considered in GEPs and provide examples and resources to inspire the creation of a GEP.
Step 4. Implementing a Gender Equality Plan – This phase sets out important actions to be taken when implementing GEPs, such as meetings, trainings, stakeholders engagements, assessment, re-planning, etc.
Step 5. Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan – This provides guidance to monitoring implementation and carrying out a context-specific evaluation, using quantitative and qualitative indicators.
Step 6. What comes after the Gender Equality Plan? – Important to guarantee the sustainability of the measures put in place, evaluation and identification of lessons learnt should help establishing next steps and what a new GEP should address.

14. STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE The GEAR tool details each step of the process.
It also provides Inspirational examples from Member States

15. ACTION TOOLBOX
The Action Toolbox covers many different areas that can be addressed in the Gender Equality Plan – including work-life balance measures, recruitment procedures, sexual harassment policies, and leadership. Real examples are provided from Member States for each area, along with a range of specific activities that can be carried out.

16. SUCCESS FACTORS FOR GEPS
A comprehensive legal and policy setting
Well-equipped supporting structures at institutional level
Commitment from top-management
Engagement of intermediate management
Community members’ engagement
Institutionalisation is required to ensure sustainability
Existence of leading successful initiatives
 Throughout the last years, lessons have been learnt with regard to a number of elements that seem to support gender equality work in research and higher education institutions. When these elements are present in research and higher education institutions, the efforts towards gender equality are more likely to succeed and to contribute to effective change. The following success factors can help promote gender equality through institutional change in research and higher education institutions. These success factors can also be understood as ‘basic requirements’ to ensure that gender equality actions are more resilient and impactful.

17. RISK FACTORS Lack of support from the top leadership Lack of funding
Lack of continuity of gender equality initiatives
Organisational resistances
Gendered character of scientific culture
Economic and social crisis

18. IN NEED OF ARGUMENTS?
 Sometimes you might experience resistance or opposition from within your own organisation. We provide you with evidence-based arguments and a list of positive benefits that come from setting up and implementing GEPs in research and academia. We hope that this section will help you deal with critical audiences. We also hope that it will create an understanding that the benefits of achieving a more gender equal research organisations also contribute to improved performance, better quality research and benefits for the whole society at large.
I encourage you all to make the institutional change

19. SHIFT GEAR MAKE THE INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE