[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9289\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe long road to gender equality is paved with data \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Michaela Brchnelova, it\u2019s a matter of facts. As a doctoral student at the Centre for Mathematical Plasma-Astrophysics in Leuven, Belgium, she is well aware of the skewed proportion of men and women in certain parts of academia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn her field, for instance, women doctoral graduates are still under-represented. This makes Brchnelova sensitive to the precarity in academia, particularly for female researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I can see for myself that with a career in academia, you don\u2019t have much certainty. The PhD is basically the longest contract you can get early in your career,\u2019 said Brchnelova, who was selected for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/GabrielMariya\/status\/1363084986107232257?s=20\u0026amp;t=Hk90M6VElQVHTNEVBvxEfw\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E#EUwomen4future campaign\u003C\/a\u003E launched by Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, in March 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd while this affects both men and women, it tends to affect women the most. In a world as competitive as academia, taking a year out to go on maternity leave may set a woman back compared to male colleagues, who don\u2019t necessarily need to take the same break from their academic track.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Nowadays it\u2019s getting better,\u2019 she added. \u2018My department is really trying to support women who want to have children during their PhDs. Still, it is always accompanied by a lot of hardship. If you take a year off, it is very hard to get back into the game.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFollowing the journey of researchers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESince its first publication in 2003, the tri-annual \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/web\/eu-law-and-publications\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/67d5a207-4da1-11ec-91ac-01aa75ed71a1\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EShe Figures report\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has closely followed the journey of women and men researchers from the time they pursue their doctoral studies and throughout their career, including the research and innovation (R\u0026amp;I) output they produce.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Having been involved in two editions of the She Figures report, I think it\u0027s just an amazing and fantastic document and effort, that doesn\u2019t exist anywhere else in the world,\u2019 said Dr Elizabeth Pollitzer, co-founder and director of the not-for-profit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/portiaweb.org.uk\/\u0022\u003EPortia\u003C\/a\u003E organisation that monitors gender equality in science and the inclusion of a gender dimension in R\u0026amp;I content.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018She Figures allows policymakers, universities and research organisations to see how they are doing in terms of gender equality in relation to other countries, and compare across fields of research. And, of course, you cannot make any improvements unless you have pretty good data about the status quo.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe latest She Figures report shows that gender inequalities in the research space persist despite decades\u2019 worth of efforts to improve the situation. For instance, women are still under-represented at the highest level of academia and in decision-making positions, and lag behind their male colleagues in terms of R\u0026amp;I output (such as publications, citations, patents and industry collaborations).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also still big differences across study fields, with women representing only 29% of PhD graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDismantling the pipeline\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the 2021 edition of the She Figures report shows progress in certain areas, for example the fact that there is almost gender parity at the doctoral and graduate level, the vast amount of Europe-wide data the report is based on also reveals the complexity of the gender issue and the many levels at which gender inequality exists.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EYou cannot make any improvements unless you have good data about the status quo.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Elizabeth Pollitzer, Director and co-founder of PORTIA\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u0027s very interesting, because more women get PhDs in life sciences than men, so you would think that at least in life sciences the proportion of women at the professor level would be much better than in other fields,\u2019 said Dr Pollitzer. \u2018But that isn\u0027t the case. So, I think that what we have learned over the last 10 years is that we cannot look at the pipeline as a whole; we have to look at each segment of the pipeline and identify what is happening that stops women moving forward.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDr Pollitzer explains how the She Figures data indicate that each career stage for a researcher creates its own barriers: the obstacles women meet in advancing to a position as associate professor, for example, are different than the ones they face in reaching a full professorship. As such, targeted solutions are needed for the different legs of the academic career.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201860-70% of full professorships are occupied by men. So, unless new professorships are formed and the system changes, it will be very hard to actually achieve gender balance in these top positions,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlanning, monitoring and measuring progress\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EData are central to developing policies that apply across the board. But data is a fickle thing. Privacy regulations, different ways of collecting data and varying understandings of the type of data to collect, mean that it can be very difficult to get a detailed overview of the situation at national level, let alone at EU level.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an economist in the Marco Biagi Department of Economics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Professor Tindara Addabbo knows her way around the data landscape better than most. Using the She Figures as a point of departure, she can disaggregate the data to get a clearer picture of gender equality at the level of individual universities.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EIt was very powerful that the European Commission stated very clearly that each action in a GEP must have specific Key Performance Indicators \u2013 KPIs.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Tindara Addabbo, Marco Biagi Department of Economics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, with her research team Professor Addabbo has developed the IDEM index, a systemic indicator that brings together different dimensions of gender equality within organisations to better guide the design of actions aiming to improve gender equality and measure their overall impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ECoordinating the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/873072\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELeTSGEPs\u003C\/a\u003E project, Prof. Addabbo is working closely with research performing organisations to implement \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/web\/eu-law-and-publications\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/51704c8d-ca5f-11eb-84ce-01aa75ed71a1\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGender Equality Plans\u003C\/a\u003E (GEPs). This is a new requirement for all universities and research bodies applying for funding under Horizon Europe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It was very powerful that the European Commission stated very clearly that each action in a GEP must have specific Key Performance Indicators \u2013 KPIs,\u2019 said Prof. Addabbo. Based on concrete measures and targets, GEPs include actions that aim to promote gender equality through institutional change. They also address work-life balance and organisational culture, gender equality in recruitment and career progression.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut measuring the achievement of outcomes requires developing the right indicators.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The glass ceiling index is very useful,\u2019 said Prof. Addabbo, referring to the indicator in She Figures that explores the barriers that impede women\u2019s access to top decision-making and managerial positions. \u2018But another indicator that is not currently used in She Figures is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0760\/8\/5\/160\/htm\u0022\u003Eglass door index\u003C\/a\u003E.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIntroduced by Ilenia Picardi, the glass door index (GDI) documents and allows us to measure the invisible barriers that hinder the academic path of women from the earliest career stages. And while the glass ceiling index in the latest She Figures report shows that there is slow but steady progress in women achieving top level positions, the GDI can reveal a different trend: when applied to the Italian academic system, the GDI in fact showed a decrease in the share of women with access to stable academic positions in all the main research fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe more data the better\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018For us, data and statistics are the starting point,\u2019 said Zulema Altamirano, Director of the Women \u0026amp; Science Unit at the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. \u2018We need a scientific picture of how the situation is; and for that, we need data.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EOnce we have the picture, we then need to ask if the measures we are taking to improve gender equality are actually working.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EZulema Altamirano, Director of the Women \u0026amp; Science Unit at the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHer team in the ministry led the work on strategic policy advice during the EU-funded \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/genderaction.eu\/genderaction-dream-team\/\u0022\u003EGENDERACTION\u003C\/a\u003E project, and\u0026nbsp;is developing policy solutions that can improve the gender balance in public research organisations in Spain. They use the She Figures report to get a picture of how the overall situation in Spain is compared to the rest of Europe, and to identify new ways to improve gender equality in their national research space.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAn important part of the ministry\u2019s work lies in liaising with the research organisations. \u2018If they don\u0027t see any problem with gender equality, then they will ask why they should put so much effort into collecting the data properly,\u2019 she said. \u2018That\u2019s why we explain the connection between what we are asking from them and what this will bring them in return.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the case of Spain, public research organisations are well-versed in comprehensive data collection which has been compulsory since 2007. Altamirano and her colleagues can use this information to build a clear picture of gender equality at the country\u2019s public research organisations. The next level of action then, is to start asking why the situation looks the way it does, and to develop policy actions that can improve the status quo.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAltamirano can list a range of initiatives launched in Spain to effect change, the biggest being new legislation that will make it compulsory for research organisations to not only implement actions towards improving gender equality, but also follow up on them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The second part is crucial,\u2019 she said, \u2018Once we have the picture, we then need to ask if the measures we are taking to improve gender equality are actually working. Because on paper, everything is possible.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Ch5\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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