EU clarifies gender studies position
In response to a petition launched by the Gender Summit, the European Commission has confirmed additional funding for gender equality research in the final years of Horizon 2020.
The petition demands that the European Commission continues to support gender equality studies in science in the Horizon 2020 funding programme, after gender-specific institutional changes were introduced in the first draft of the Science with and for Society Scoping Paper 2018-2020.
In an email to members of the European Research Area Stakeholder Platform, the commission has responded to concerns over the future of gender equality, writing: ‘The commission wishes to reassure all stakeholders that with respect to its support for institutional change for gender equality the commission envisages no change in policy whatsoever and that it aims to continue strengthening the implementation of its policy in this area.’
The commission continued to promise stakeholders that it would clarify its approach to gender equality in research and innovation policy in the final draft of the scoping paper, and reassure the petition’s signatories that gender would remain a key element of study in the future of Horizon 2020.
The petition is available to view and sign here.
