Work-life balance, gender equality in recruitment and career progression, measures against gender-based violence. These are some of the areas of intervention of SISSA’s Gender Equality Plan (GEP), a programmatic and strategic document on gender equality that research institutions and universities have to set up to formally acknowledge gender equality and intersectionality as key objectives and fundamental values shared by European educational institutions, stating specific actions to implement them.
The GEP fits into the European Commission’s policies aimed at promoting and implementing gender equality in research and innovation. It is part of the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 which sets out strategic objectives and actions to move towards a gender-equal Europe. The development of a Gender Equality Plan is one of the main actions required from all research institutions and universities to gain access to funding within the Horizon Europe research programme starting from 2022.
SISSA’s GEP has been drawn up in line with the Positive Action Plan (PAP), a document that outlines actions aimed at removing any obstacle preventing the full realization of equality in employment and working conditions between men and women and stronger safeguards against all forms of discrimination. The document has a three-year time frame (2022-2024) and is in line with the Strategic Plan, which acknowledges the action for gender equality as one of the School’s key strategic pillars.
The Gender Equality Plan is the result of the shared effort of a new specific Working Group, including some members of CUG (Comitato Unico di Garanzia, the unified committee for equal opportunities, the promotion of the wellbeing of the personnel and against discriminations) and of the Administrative and Technical Personnel, with the support of SISSA’s senior management and managing bodies. The process enabled the identification of objectives, indicators and resources to promote gender equality at all levels, bearing in mind the context and specific features of the School.
The document is built over five areas of intervention, corresponding to the thematic areas marked as essential by the European Commission:
- work-life balance and organisational culture;
- gender balance in leadership positions and decision-making bodies;
- gender equality in recruitment and career progression;
- integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content;
- measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment.
The Plan’s full version, with objectives, indicators and resources, is available here: