Presentation at 8th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education, Vienna 4th Septemeber 2014. Authors: Pastor, Inma; Serret, Núria; Pontón, Paloma. Abstract: Based on the need to move towards gender Equality in Latin America, 18 universities in the region have been working on the development and implementation of gender plans. The usefulness of the gender plans, the obstacles in their execution and the results of their approval are analysed.

1. Usefulness, difficulties and risks in gender plans of European and Latin American Higher Education Institutions
Inma Pastor, Núria Serret & Paloma Pontón
Gender Equality Observatory | Business Department
UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI, SPAIN
8th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education
Vienna University of Technology
4th September 2014

2. EQUALITY project: common policies on equality in LA universities
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EQUALITY - Strengthening leadership of women in Higher Education Institutions and in society in Latin America
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A cooperation project between European Union (EU) – Latin America (LA), funded by the ALFA III programme of the EU
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18 universities from LA and 4 from EU
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General objective: to improve Higher Education in LA countries by promoting gender equality and contributing to the visibility and participation of women in the scientific, academic and labour spheres.
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Specific objective: creation or reinforcement of gender-based equality policies in LA universities, in line with trends in EU. Specifically, the planning and approval of institutional Gender Plans.
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Based on: EU instruments

3. Equality initiatives in science in the EU
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The very first reports and documents: from 1989 to 1998 in Germany, UK, Denmark and Finland
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1998. Introduction of gender mainstreaming into the EU in Women and Science Conference
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1999. EC launched Women and Science. Mobilising Women to Enrich European Research
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Creation of a genderwatch system to control and apply integration of the gender perspective within the V Framework Program.
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2000. Publication of the ETAN report on the promotion of excellence through integration of gender equality
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The three-yearly publication of She Figures. Statistics and Indicators on Gender Equality in Science to monitor the situation and the advances towards gender equality in HEI and the labour market

4. Equality initiatives in science in the EU
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2010. Creation of the European Institute on Gender Equality (EIGE)
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VII Framework Program. Support actions to achieve structural and cultural change in universities and research institutions management from a gender and diversity perspective
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Challenges of Horizon 2020 and strategies:
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Correcting the lack of equality in participation in research in all stages of the scientific career and in different fields of research
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Considering gender as a research dimension taking into account the biological, social and economic differences between women and men in all research processes

5. Main working lines on Gender Equality in research organisations
Main areas of intervention
ERA and H2020
LERU
EUA
OECD
Leadership and strategy
Addressing gender imbalances in decision making processes
The ultimate responsibility for achieving change is shouldered by university’s highest leadership
It is needed strong leadership that is well- informed, engaged and willing to act in gender equality issues
Promoting more women into senior management roles
Recruitment and career progression
Remove legal and other barriers to the recruitment, retention and career progression of female researchers
Funding programmes to focus on research; mentoring and training; awareness about possible bias; publication quality vs. quantity; support grants.
Providing transparency in promotion and recruitment processes; securing equal opportunities for research funding.
Ensuring that recruitment, tenure and other HR policies do not put women at disadvantage.
Gender dimension in research contents
Foster gender equality and the integration of a gender dimension in Horizon 2020 programmes and projects from inception.
Universities should promote a gender dimension in science.
Providing extensive funding for research on gender equality in higher education, science and research.
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Monitoring and assessment
Conduct impact assessment / audit of procedures. Set targets and monitor progress via indicators at organisation level.
Universities should have gender-specific statistics. Disaggregate gender ratio figures by research fields to address the causes of such imbalances.
Monitoring the change process, measuring the impact of the strategy applied for structural changes to improve the conditions for gender equality.
Strengthening gender awareness across the institution, with appropriate accountability mechanisms.
Source: Own elaboration from the information provided by the EC, LERU, EUA and OECD reports and comunications.

6. EQUALITY project: strategy for the development of equality policies in LA universities
Writing and implementing a Gender Plan
Creating a Gender Unit: lead the issue, provide acknowledgment, monitor the situation
Developing a diagnosis of the university situation based on the analysis of sex-disaggregated data

7. EQUALITY project: strategy for the development of equality policies in LA universities
Training for trainers to elaborate the Gender Plan, taking into account the institutional, social and economic context of each university
•Methodology for policy and Gender Plans development, based on the EU instruments
Workshop 1
•Creating different typologies of data for constructing indicators and statistical analysis
Workshop 2
•Techniques for the strategically design of a Gender Plan, lines of action and best practices
Workshop 3

8. EQUALITY project: strategy for the development of equality policies in LA universities
Steps to develop and implement Gender Plans:
•Before drafting the Gender Plan 100%
•Back-to-back with the draft of the Gender Plan 0%
Searching for internal / external alliances
•Before drafting the Gender Plan 90%
•Back-to-back with the draft of the Gender Plan 10%
Diagnosis
•Before drafting the Gender Plan 65%
•Back-to-back with the draft of the Gender Plan 35%
Support from the university board
•Commission for Equality 20%
•Gender Unit 40%
•Research Group or Centre of Studies 40%
Leadership in drafting the Gender Plan
Source: Own elaboration from the information provided by EQUALITY partners.

9. EQUALITY project: strategy for the development of equality policies in LA universities
Types of Gender Unit chosen by the universities:
The link of Gender Units with the Plan is highly important:
Commission 39%
Institute / Centre of Studies 6%
Programme 11%
Unit 33%
Observatory 11%
Source: Own elaboration from the information provided by EQUALITY partners.
Technical role: activities execution 37%
Political leader of the implementation 17%
Accompanied by a Monitoring Commission 14%
Accompanied by an Advisory Board 12%
Accompanied by the Governing Council 20%

10. EQUALITY project: strategy for the development of equality policies in LA universities
Universities have found difficulties within their own institutions when trying to develop the Plan. Those responsible for executing the activities looked for the following solutions:
Difficulties
•Lack of financial resources and staff 44%
•Lack of institutional support and political interest 44%
•Others (authorities agenda, high percentage of men on boards, identification of services) 27,8%
•Little interest of university community in the topic 22,2%
•Difficulties to fit the Gender Plan in the university rules 11%
Solutions
•Search for external funding
•Convene a Drafting Comission with representatives of all university levels
•Develop a reasonable working plan
•Exploit EQUALITY activities to raise awareness: workshops and academic offer
•Negociate with HEI boards and include key actors as alliances
Source: Own elaboration from the information provided by EQUALITY partners.

11. EQUALITY project: achievements
A Gender Responsive Indicators System has been created.
The 70% of universities did not have Gender Unit before the project started. Now all of them have their own GU.
Only 2 universities had a Gender Plan before EQUALITY, both of them European. Now:
5 out of 22 are implementing a Gender Plan
10 out of 22 have a draft
7 more will have their Plan written before 2014 ends
* Creation of EQUALITY International Network: best practices and training

12. Conclusions: usefulness of gender policies through Diagnosis, GP and Units in EQUALITY
The existence of Gender Units and Plans allows:
1.
The possibility of being able to be watchful and to denounce cases in which women can be discriminated.
2.
To generate internal information from the gender perspective and de-aggregated data by sex.
3.
To achieve the continuous diagnosis of the situation of women and the development of indicators that will facilitate the revision and update of Gender Plans.
4.
To raise awareness among the scientific community and the need to include gender variables in their disciplines.

13. Conclusions: usefulness of gender policies through Diagnosis, GP and Units in EQUALITY
5.
To reach a higher compliance with norms trying to achieve a gender-equal participation of men and women in representation and management structures.
6.
To create a certain critical mass of women and men who work within their fields to incorporate the gender perspective in teaching and recearch.
7.
The management boards of the universities have to account for the situation of equality between women and men and the topic of gender on a regular basis.
8.
A real practice of transparent processes that makes it possible to build a meritocratic university.

14. Conclusions: risks of gender policies through Diagnosis, GP and Units in EQUALITY
All the chances and potential effects of gender plans and units have to face some difficulties and be aware of risks:
1.
Organisation dynamics within universities, deeply rooted habits, descentralised working procedures, which could make it difficult to spread a new message.
2.
The androcentric mindset of an important part of the academic community.
3.
The lack of discussion between academic fields, which makes it difficult that some knowledge goes beyond the field in which it has been produced.
4.
The discourse of meritocracy, that is the foundation of the academic structure of universities, though it isn’t enforced in practice.
5.
The existing laws do not guarantee the enforcement of measures nor how to get results out of them.

15. Thank you
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Inma Pastor | inma.pastor@urv.cat Lecturer of Sociology at Business Management Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili
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Núria Serret | nuria.serret@urv.cat Project manager at Gender Equality Observatory, Universitat Rovira i Virgili
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Paloma Pontón | paloma.ponton@urv.cat PhD Fellow at Business Management Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Further information about EQUALITY project available at www.equality-network.net
EQUALITY is a project co-funded by the European Union through the ALFA III programme