MORE WOMEN IN
INFORMATICS RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORDS 02
INTRODUCTION 06
01 RECRUITING FEMALE STUDENTS 09
02 RECRUITING WOMEN 11
03 INTERVIEWING WOMEN 13
04 KEEPING WOMEN 15
05 PROMOTING WOMEN 19
06 SUPPORT MEASURES 21
SOURCES 23
business analys s. Nowadays so many young gi ls s a
hei ad en u e wi h ech as en husias ic and skilled
code s. And he e could be so many mo e!
We mus s i e o make he digi al jobs and ICT- ela -
ed esea ch mo e a ac i e o women as a ca ee pa h
han i cu en ly is. And I am su e ha i is no only a
demand om hem ha ou wo k en i onmen s a e
suppo i e and sa e. Suppo ing women and nu u ing
hei alen s can happen i we embed good p ac ic-
es in o e e yday wo k. This publica ion p o ides ich,
comp ehensi e and hands-on ad ice on os e ing
gende equali y and i emb aces lea ning, wo king and
ca ee p og ession. The e o e, I wa mly ecommend i
as use ul inspi a ion o ollow and apply in he aca-
demic wo kplace.
I wish he bes o luck o all women who emb ace he
digi al oppo uni y!
Clai e Bu y
Depu y Di ec o Gene al
Di ec o a e Gene al Communica ions,
Ne wo ks, Con en and Technology
Eu opean Commission
We o en say ha digi al echnologies change he way
we li e, wo k and lea n oday, ha hey o e unp ece-
den ed oppo uni ies, while a he same ime demand
lexibili y and adap a ion.
We o en also end o unde es ima e women’s con i-
bu ion o oday’s digi al wo ld and he a ious ields o
c ea i i y and in ellec ual endea ou s. Women emain
unde ep esen ed in many a eas and hei high po en-
ial is no ully included in he inno a ion p ocess. This
is an issue o conce n o policy making on di e en
le els. This is my conce n oo.
This asymme y a ec s he ech sec o in pa icula .
Despi e e idence ha allowing o mo e women o en-
e he digi al jobs ma ke could c ea e an annual € 9
billion GDP boos in he EU a ea, he e is s ill a e y
la ge ICT gende gap in Eu ope. In o de o ill i , we
also de ini ely need mo e emale g adua es in his ield.
Apa om equali y aspec s and job ma ke needs i is
also impo an ha women h i e in he digi al wo ld.
This is al eady happening – women a e o ins ance
b illian so wa e de elope s, p oduc designe s o IT
FOREWORD
02 03
“
”
Compu a ion is a he co e o he mode n wo ld, and
has e olu ionized ou li es o e he las i y yea s.
Uni e si ies and colleges canno educa e g adua es
as enough o sa is y he demand om indus y, and
he ca ee s o g adua es in he ield a e a ied, s im-
ula ing and well- ewa ded. Ne e heless we a e s ill
ailing o engage a signi ican p opo ion o he pop-
ula ion in his exci ing a ea. Uni e si ies ha e a key
ole o play bo h in eaching ou o disengaged po-
en ial s uden s and in leading by example, by ensu -
ing ha hei own p ac ices wi h espec o gende
and di e si y a e o he highes s anda d.
This small bookle is packed wi h p ac ical ad ice o
deans and heads o depa men on measu es o im-
p o e he gende balance in hei ins i u ions, bo h
wi hin he s uden body and wi hin he s a . Simple
changes can ha e a big impac and he s eps aken o
imp o e he wo king and s udying cul u e o women
will eap bene i s and imp o e he wo king cul u e o
e e yone.
Wi hou s eps o widen pa icipa ion in he discipline
we will con inue o be aced wi h a skills sho age
ha hampe s he g ow h and de elopmen o he
ech indus y. The e is a signi ican pool o emale al-
en ha is cu en ly no a ac ed o e ained. Mo e
impo an ly he needs and iews o a subs an ial p o-
po ion o he popula ion will no be aken in o ac-
coun in he de elopmen o he echnology ha will
shape ou u u e.
I applaud he wo k ha has gone in o compiling his
bookle and encou age all deans and heads o de-
pa men o gi e i se ious conside a ion.
P o esso Dame Wendy Hall
DBE FRS FREng
P esiden ACM Eu ope Council
04 05
FOREWORD
“
”
The bad news is ha a p edominan ly male o emale
cul u e is sel -sus aining. In he case o In o ma ics,
he male-domina ed cul u e has been he s a us quo
o a long ime. The good news is ha when a mixed
cul u e is achie ed, his cul u e becomes sus aina-
ble. Resea ch indica es ha a minimum 30% o bo h
gende s achie es his s able mixed cul u e. So, while
50% o women would be a laudable goal, eaching
30% al eady allows us o cong a ula e ou sel es on
achie ing a h eshold.
While he gende issue is o en pe cei ed as a wom-
en’s issue, a signi ican change is possible only when
he majo i y o he heads and deans o In o ma ics
depa men s and he leade s o esea ch o ganisa-
ions see his as bo h a conce n and an oppo uni y.
We hope ha his documen will help o p omo e he
changes owa d women’s inc eased pa icipa ion in
In o ma ics esea ch and educa ion, o he bene i o
all, men and women alike.
In o ma ics is a ield whe e women a e in he mino i y,
wi h he esul ha his ield is losing a la ge amoun
o po en ial alen . While his p oblem is common
ac oss cul u es, we, esea ch o ganisa ions, academia
and collabo a o s in he ield, should ensu e ha he
women who do selec o s udy and wo k in IT a e
ully-suppo ed in achie ing hei goals and po en ial.
This bookle was c ea ed by he In o ma ics Eu ope
Women in In o ma ics Resea ch and Educa ion wo k-
ing g oup. The bookle is in en ionally compac o
p o ide clea and simple bes p ac ices ha will in-
c ease pa icipa ion o women as bo h s uden s and
employees. I de ails ac ions ha can be aken o
a ac women o pa icipa e in In o ma ics educa ion
and esea ch and ensu e hei con inued pa icipa ion
in he o ganisa ion a commensu a e a ios wi h hei
male colleagues.
These ac ions a e no empo a y measu es, bu need
o become ing ained in he p ocesses o o ganisa-
ions, so ha , when less a en ion is paid o he gen-
de issue, he numbe o women in In o ma ics will
no decline.
INTRODUCTION
06 07
01
RECRUITING
FEMALE
STUDENTS
■ Use mul iple social media channels (e.g., Twi e , Face-
book, LinkedIn, Google+) o p omo e e en s and each
a high numbe o p ospec i e s uden s.
■ Wo k wi h unde g adua e open-day coo dina o s o
ec ui emale s uden ambassado s and speake s
om he depa men and indus y. While emale acul-
y may choose o olun ee as ole models, his cos s
women hei s udy/ esea ch ime.
■ P esen example s o ies abou women wi h suc-
cess ul ca ee s in In o ma ics in ec ui men ma e i-
als and on he depa men al websi e, encou aging
emale candida es o apply and educing he s e eo-
ype ha In o ma ics ela ed jobs a e o “ne ds”.
08 09
02
RECRUITING
WOMEN
■ O e cou ses and gues lec u es on opics ha a e
popula wi h unde g adua e and g adua e s uden s
and p esen new oppo uni ies o esea che s, such
as human-compu e in e ac ion, mul imedia, li es yle
In o ma ics, heal h In o ma ics o compu a ional lin-
guis ics.
■ Include in cou se desc ip ions aspec s o c ea i i y
in ech educa ion and wo k, such as in o ma ion and
communica ion design, use in e ace design o pa -
icipa o y design.
■ Emphasise good p ospec s o employmen in he IT
sec o o skilled wo ke s and ha sala ies a e abo e
a e age.
■ Ad e ise openly o all posi ions, s a ing ha you a e
an equal oppo uni y employe .
■ Desc ibe posi ions in a b oad way. S a e job c i e ia
objec i ely.
■ S a e in he ec ui ing ma e ials and job desc ip ions
ha he uni e si y/depa men /ins i u e is commi ed
o acili a ing he combina ion o wo k and childca e.
■ Emphasise ha jobs in In o ma ics allow o mo e
oppo uni ies o ele-commu ing and ele-wo king,
compa ed o o he ields.
■ S a e ha lexible e ms o employmen a e possible,
such as wo king pa - ime and lexible wo king hou s.
10 11
Rec ui ing Female S uden s
03
■ Dis ibu e ad e isemen s ac oss a numbe o chan-
nels. Fo example, send hem o women’s ne wo ks’
email lis s, such as na ional women in ech ne wo ks o
ne wo ks o emale p o esso s.
■ App oach candida es di ec ly. Fo example, send he
ad e isemen pe sonally o (a leas ) h ee wom-
en you would like o see in he posi ion. Ask hem o
apply, o ask hem o send i o h ee o he women
who hey hink would be sui able.
■ Allow 3 mon hs o applica ions o be submi ed. Time
is needed o he ad e isemen o each he igh
women, and hey need ime o espond.
■ Take ac ion i oo ew sui able women apply. Fo
example, ex end he deadline o applica ions and
e-ad e ise he posi ion (in e )na ionally.
■ Re-examine he applica ions and conside e-ad e is-
ing i he ini ial lis o candida es selec ed o in e iew
does no include any women.
INTERVIEWING
WOMEN
■ Ensu e ha he composi ion o he hi ing commi ee
is as balanced as possible. Fo example, ensu e ha a
leas 30% o he commi ee consis s o women, wi h a
minimum o wo emale membe s.
■ In i e women o he in e iew no only o see whe he
hey a e bes o he posi ion, bu also o gi e hem ex-
pe ience o being in e iewed and inc ease hei s a us
a hei own ins i u ion.
■ Raise he issue o inc easing he ep esen a ion o
women in he depa men when in e iewing women
and men and ask how hey would app oach i . This
p o ides ex a ips and also shows he depa men is
se ious abou he issue.
12 13
Rec ui ing Women
04
■ P o ide help wi h sol ing he “ wo body p oblem”, ha
is helping o ind a posi ion o he applican ’s pa ne .
■ Conside 18 mon hs pe child since PhD comple ion
o mo he s when compa ing candida es o any suc-
cess c i e ion, hus educing he ime used o judge
he achie emen s.
KEEPING
WOMEN
■ Schedule mee ings only be ween 09:30 and 16:30, so
ca e s o young child en a e able o deal wi h commu -
ing and childca e.
■ O e compensa e he imbalance o women in he in-
s i u e by hei o e ep esen a ion a ins i u e col-
loquia. Fo example, i 15% o he depa men is
emale, hen make su e women gi e a leas 25% o he
alks. In i e ex e nal emale speake s as well.
■ O ganise a cou se o all senio s a membe s on un-
conscious bias. These can co e all di e si y issues no
jus gende equali y issues.
ERC GUIDELINES
Fo ma e ni y, he e ec i e elapsed ime since he awa d
o he i s PhD will be conside ed educed by 18 mon hs
o i longe by he documen ed amoun o lea e ac ually
aken o each child bo n be o e o a e he PhD awa d.
Fo pa e ni y, he e ec i e elapsed ime since he awa d
o he i s PhD will be conside ed educed by he doc-
umen ed amoun o pa e ni y lea e ac ually aken o
each child bo n be o e o a e he PhD awa d.
h ps://e c.eu opa.eu/si es/de aul / iles/documen / ile/
ERC-Wo k-P og amme-2017.pd
14 15
In e iewing Women
