Gender Action Plan - PART 1 (D9.3)

R – Document, Report Gender Action Plan - PART 1 DATE: 10.05.2024 DELIVERABLE NUMBER: D9.3 2 Dissemination level - Public General Information Disclaimer: © 2024 by FishEUTrust Information and views set out across this website are those of the Consortium and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion or position of the European Union. Neither European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained herein. Call identifier: HORIZON-CL6-2021-FARM2FORK-01-10 GA Number: 101060712 Start date of project: 01/06/2022 Work Package: WP9 Type: Deliverable Number: D9.3 Version: 1 Due Date: 30/11/2022 Submission date: 30/11/2022 Revision date: 10.05.2024 Responsible organisation: Siân Astley (Gender Officer) EuroFIR Prepared by: Siân Astley Dissemination Level: Public Reviewed by: Freya M. Robinson (AquaBioTech Group, MT); Barbara Koroušić Seljak (JSI, SI); Javier de la Cueva (ES) – comments included 28.11.2022 (SBA) Document Type PRO Technical/economic progress report (internal work package reports indicating work status) DEL Technical reports identified as deliverables in the Description of Work X MoM Minutes of Meeting MAN Procedures and user manuals WOR Working document, issued as preparatory documents to a Technical report INF Information and Notes Dissemination Level PU Public X PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE Restricted to a group specified by the Consortium (including the Commission Services) CO Confidential, only for members of the Consortium (including the Commission Services) CON Confidential, only for members of the Consortium 3 Dissemination level - Public Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Legal obligations and gender equality strategy ................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Gender in the workplace .................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Gender in research organisations and projects .................................................................................................. 8 2. Sex and gender in FishEUTrust ........................................................................................................................................... 10 3. Counting, sharing, and changing in FishEUTrust .................................................................................................. 12 3.1 Audit phase ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Gender equality plan - DRAFT ................................................................................................................................. 15 5. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 4 Dissemination level - Public Executive Summary Sex refers to biologically determined characteristics, specifically anatomy and chromosomes, and forms the basis of classification of living things including humans as male or female. On the other hand, gender describes characteristics that are socially constructed, which vary in time and place, and amongst cultures as well as language. These terms are often used interchangeably in scientific literature, health policy, legislation, and by society. However, it is important to distinguish clearly between gender and sex, as they are conceptually and legally distinct. Gender equality is a fundamental value of the European Union, and benefits research by improving quality and relevance of outputs, attracting and retaining talent, and ensuring that everyone can maximise their potential in an inclusive workplace environment. There has been progress in gender equality in terms of non-discriminatory practices, underpinned by a range of directives. However, men and women, and those who identify as male, female or neither, are not treated equally in recruitment or promotion, and research often overlooks sex and gender in outputs, meaning European society is not equable and still dependent upon legislation to drive change. A gender equality plan is a set of commitments and actions that aim to promote gender equality in an organisation – in this case, the project FishEUTrust – through cultural change. The gender equality plan demonstrates the commitment of the consortium to gender equality, set clear goals and detailed actions, and measures to achieve them. Essential elements include (i) publication online and endorsement by senior management; (ii) communication to the consortium; (iii) dedicated resources and expertise to implement the plan; (iv) data collection and monitoring; and (v) training to raise awareness, engaging the whole consortium and consider unconscious sex and gender biases as well as in communication activities. FishEUTrust will consider what are the most relevant indicators for this project, how to collect and analyse data, published and monitored on annual basis as part of the first gender audit (January 2023). In practice, this means COUNTING contributors in content, SHARING data to inform decisions, and CHANGING culture to enrich outputs. WPs and Tasks specifically will identify and monitor the sex and gender of contributors as well as research factors to set benchmarks to be counted and track progress. What is counted will depend on outputs (e.g., stakeholders [participation] versus digital methods [programmers/coders] or environmental impact on sex differentiation [fish research]). These metrics will not always be directly comparable but are more realistic to monitor and improve performance. SHARING and discuss data will inform benchmarks (i.e., what to monitor), decisions (e.g., what target is realistic), and actions (e.g., implementation of scheme likely to empower women (e.g., mentoring, shadowing) or raise participation (e.g., aim to increase participation by 20% within 12 months). COUNTING and SHARING create change because they identify areas where women (or other diversities) or sex in research are under-represented, change how groups design and present work. Sometimes, highlighting fact/revealing under-representation and unconscious bias, leaving space for peer-pressure, are enough to promote inclusiveness without efforts becoming barriers to change. The FishEUTrust gender equality plan will also consider thematic areas, specifically work-life balance and organisational culture, gender balance in leadership and decision-making, gender equality in recruitment and career progression, integration of the sex and gender dimensions in research and outputs, and measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment. 5 Dissemination level - Public 1. Introduction Sex refers to biologically determined characteristics, specifically anatomy and chromosomes, and forms the basis of classification of living things including humans as male or female. On the other hand, gender describes characteristics that are socially constructed, which vary in time and place, and amongst cultures as well as language. These terms are often used interchangeably in scientific literature, health policy, legislation, and by society. However, it is important to distinguish clearly between gender and sex, as they are conceptually and legally distinct. Humans have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. Of those, one pairing (X and Y) determine sex. Most women are 44XX and most men are 44XY. In a few births per thousand, individuals are born with a single sex chromosome and others with three or more sex chromosomes (e.g., XXX, XYY or XXY) or variations in the sex chromosomes mean biological (anatomy) females 44XY and biological (anatomy) males 44XX. There is also a wide range of phenotypic variations, even amongst 44XX and 44XY individuals. Gender, typically described in developed Western societies in terms of masculinity and femininity, is a social construct. There are cultures where gender is not binary (male or female), even within an individual. Neither term is indicative of sexuality. In contrast, environmental factors, including water pH, oxygen concentration, growth rate, density, social state, and temperature, as well as genes impact sex in fish. The impact of these factors is often overlooked (Hanson et al., 20081), impairing not only detection of biologically relevant differences, but also their affects on related decisions in fisheries management. Directive (2006/54/EC)2 on equal opportunities and equal treatment of women and men in employment and occupation requires implementation of actions preventing sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and inequality access to employment, pay, or occupational social security schemes (Directive 79/7/EEC)3 or self-employment (Directive 2010/41/EU)4. Sex discrimination is also prohibited in access to and supply of goods and services (Directive 2004/113/EC)5. Other directives apply to specific groups, such as the Pregnancy Directive (92/85/EEC)6, the Directive on Work-life Balance for Parents and Carers (2019/1158/EU)7, or the Part-time Work Directive (97/81/EC)8. However, because most part-time workers in the EU are women, the requirement of equal treatment of part-timers and full-timers is particularly relevant in anti-discrimination and gender equality. Equal opportunities actions seek to ensure the absence of barriers to economic, political, and social participation on the grounds of sex, founded on the rationale that a range of actions are necessary to redress sex-based inequities. In comparison, gender equality seeks to ensure that individuals can develop abilities and make choices without limitations imposed by socially constructed roles (e.g., men do things, women care for people). It is far harder to articulate, monitor, and support change since underlying intentions are to ensure that behaviours, aspirations, and needs are considered, valued, and favoured equally. Gender equality (being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities) and gender equity (being fair and impartial) are different from non-discrimination based on sex. Gender inequality 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/10641260802013866 (accessed 2024.05.24) 2 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2006/54/oj 3 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1979/7/oj 4 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/41/oj 5 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2004/113/oj 6 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/85/oj (Consolidated version: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/85/2019-07-26) 7 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1158/oj 8 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1997/81/oj (Consolidated version: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1997/81/1998-05-25) 6 Dissemination level - Public and inequity acknowledge that those who identify as female are treated unequally/unfairly because of their perceived/expressed gender. The debate about gender inequality/inequity is increasing worldwide, leading to new movements and contextualising of issues not considered previously. Some countries perform better than others when measuring gender equality/equity, with Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden ranking first through fourth, respectively, in 2020. Amongst the 10 leading countries, Ireland, Spain, and Latvia had high scores, whilst – in Europe – Bulgaria was the lowest. However, none are equal irrespective of the metric used (e.g., unemployment, pay gap, education, access to health services, or equal treatment in general). Within research, both sex and gender need to be considered within the workplace and research activities. Sex and gender biases lead to inadequate representation of men and women, or those who identify as male and female, in research design and study samples as well as teams, research positions, recipients of research funding, or authors of publications. Gender-specific research focuses on gender as the subject matter (e.g., exploration of those who identify as male or female in IT). Gender-blind research does not take gender into account, often based on the often-incorrect assumption that gender differences are not relevant. This is often an example of implicit gender-bias, unintentional differentiation placing one gender in a hierarchical position, just as sex bias refers to inappropriate representation of men and women and the neglect of differences arising from different biological mechanisms in research design. Both affect the quality of research as they -separately and jointlycompromise the validity of research findings, leading to inaccurate conclusions about how women or men/ those who identify as male or female participate in or respond to research as well as research outcomes. Sex and gender insensitivity is, however, not the only manifestation of bias, which can also present as over-generalisation (application of research outcomes to a group that has not been studied, e.g., licencing of most pharmaceuticals tested exclusively in males, public health advice based on research in males), double standards (e.g., gender stereotypes for explaining gender differences, e.g., males should not wear dresses, females should be polite accommodating and nurturing), and androcentrism (male as the norm, e.g., use of male pronouns to describe scientists, images including only males, fish are male/or respond as males). Overall, evidence from many research fields have identified that sex and genders biases led to gaps in knowledge and inequalities in many cases to the disadvantage of women or failure to perceive the full impact of research variables. 1.1 Legal obligations and gender equality strategy The European Union is founded on a set of values, including equality and, therefore, promotes equality between men and women (Articles 2 and 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU)9). Indeed, Treaties establishing the European Community and European Union prohibit discrimination based on any grounds such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, as enshrined in article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. These rights are protected by the European Commission through Directive 2000/43/EC10 (race and ethnic origin), Directive 2000/78/EC11 (workplace - religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in the workplace), Directive 2006/54/EC12 9 http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/teu_2012/oj 10 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/43/oj 11 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/78/oj 12 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2006/54/oj 7 Dissemination level - Public (employment and occupation), Directive 2004/113/EC13 (access to and supply of goods and services), Directive Proposal (COM(2008)462)14 (beyond the workplace - age, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief). However, these directives point to the fact that, despite championing equality as a fundamental value, non-discrimination legislation is necessary to achieve this. Further, the EU has chosen implement these values via directives that set out goals EU Member States must achieve using their own legislative systems rather than regulations, which are binding across the EU. Whilst European non-discrimination based on sex has a long history of policy development, often, there is less recognition of efforts around gender, which were founded in 1957. More recent activities have focus on equal treatment (non-discrimination) legislation, gender mainstreaming (i.e., inclusion of gender perspectives in all policies), and specific measures for the advancement of women. The Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality 2016-2019 described commitments to promote gender equality as well as integration into EU funding programmes. For example, concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013), the EC formalised commitments to gender equality in Decision No 1982/2006/EC (18.12.2006), stating that “integration of the gender dimension and gender equality will be addressed in all areas of research”. The aim was to highlight the contribution of gender equality to economic growth and sustainable development and, through 30 concrete actions, build on outcomes from previous activities. An evaluation was published in February 2020. In 2019, gender equality received strong support from the first-ever female Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and saw creation of a dedicated Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. Despite the pandemic, in March 2020, the European Commission published the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, which aims to end gender-based violence; challenge gender stereotypes; close gender gaps in the labour market; achieve equal participation across different sectors of the economy; address gender pay and pension gaps; close the gender care gap and achieve gender balance in decision-making and politics. The strategy pursues a dual approach of gender mainstreaming combined with targeted actions, and intersectionality is a horizontal principle for implementation. While the strategy focuses on actions within the EU, it is also coherent with external policy on gender equality and women’s empowerment. One of the first deliverables was measures for pay transparency (4th March 2021) whilst the 2021 Report on Gender Equality highlighted achievements in five key areas and examples of success across the EU. From 2022, Horizon Europe has required beneficiaries from EU Member States and associated countries to have a gender equality plan (GEP) or equivalent strategy to be eligible for funding. Guidance presents components of the eligibility criterion, explaining what these requirements mean in practice when developing and implementing a GEP or reviewing the equivalence of existing plans or policies, and provides concrete practical examples, building on existing materials, good practices and various resources that support gender equality in research and innovation (R&I). Henceforth, this report will refer to the FishEUTrust gender equality plan. 13 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2004/113/oj 14 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52008PC0426 8 Dissemination level - Public 1.2 Gender in the workplace Europe still has a long way to go to achieve equality/equity for women, based on the Gender Equality Index 2021, which considers work, money, education, time, power and health. Underrepresentation of women in the workplace is a broad and multifaceted issue. Women are increasingly well qualified with more women graduating from universities in Europe. However, many women do not feel as free in their choice of jobs, or do not have the same job opportunities as men. Even if more women were to participate in the labour market, burdens of private and care responsibilities, unpaid work, still rests largely with women. Increased working hours amongst women does not automatically lead to more balanced sharing of domestic work and caregiving, meaning women are also far more likely to work in part-time (paid) employment. Across Europe, despite different education and employment systems, women are under-represented in senior posts whether academic or commercial, and more absent in certain specialities (e.g. 30% female representation in the workforce globally; 26-52% female representation in EU MS - UNESCO Institute for Statistics, June 2019, https://bit.ly/2Rt65qm - accessed 01.11.2022; physical sciences 39%, mathematical sciences 37%, computer sciences 19%, engineering and technology 19% - Women in STEM - https://bit.ly/2Vjh72r - accessed 01.11.2022). Currently, economic loss associated with gender inequality amount to €370 billion annually. Thus, actions in recruitment, working conditions, monitoring, management, and retention could lead to an increase in EU GDP in the region of €3.15 trillion by 2050. Programmes of Research since the Seventh Framework have pursued systematic and visible strategies to promote gender equality in science (sector) and research (activities) through participation of women in science and research, research that addresses individuals’ needs, and research on outcomes affected by sex and gender. Sex and gender in research, therefore, requires actions related to both participation and research design and implementation. Improving participation in science and research requires women/female researchers to partake in teams and studies at all levels, while offering gender-sensitive working conditions and culture. Further, it is important to consider how individuals’ identities impact participation in research, e.g., how messaging might be biased towards those who identify as female. Equally, addressing the sex and gender dimension in research requires that sex is considered as a key analytical and explanatory variable on the basis that, if relevant issues are missed or poorly addressed (e.g., metabolic response), results are incomplete and biased. 1.3 Gender in research organisations and projects Reasons the research community, including FishEUTrust, should invest in sexand gendersensitive research concern both workplace culture and research excellence. Lack of discrimination is not sufficient to create teams that perform well and attract top-level researchers. Mixed teams are more efficient, more creative, consider diverse points-of-view, and make higher quality decisions. To achieve excellence in research, the best talent is needed and both beneficiaries and projects need to create working conditions/cultures that allow individuals to have equally fulfilling careers without fear or favour, as well as encouraging individuals to achieve a work:life balance that is acceptable to them, which motivates greater productivities. Despite EUand national legislation against sex discrimination in the workplace, men and women are not assessed on the same basis nor are their respective achievements viewed 9 Dissemination level - Public equally. Open and impartial selection procedures, using mixed selection panels, training for panel members on unconscious gender bias, advertisement of posts, explicit encouragement for women to apply amongst peers and line managers, and accommodation for atypical career patterns should all be in place. Likewise, selection criteria relevant to the pursuit of scientific knowledge and indicators for performance, which fit life-cycle productivity, career progression, and organisational/ team needs, must be explicit, precise, and transparent. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that bias and discrimination exist and investigate where and what these are to achieve change. Individuals are often reluctant to share details because these might wrongly be perceived as a distraction. However, the absence of women from professions including science gives rise to implicit, unconscious but powerful, biases in values, priorities, and practices. Workplace cultures influence whether individuals feel welcome, irrespective of sex and gender, and beneficiaries should foster working conditions (pay, opportunities, access to grants and funding) that reflect different needs around geographical mobility and private commitments as well as career structures. What-is-more, these should be described with appropriate monitoring in their gender equality plans, and individuals should be aware of the plan and familiar with metrics. This is also relevant for projects at macro- (i.e., gender equality plan) and micro-levels (i.e., scheduling of meetings [e.g., not during school holidays] or activities (e.g., teleconferences over lunchtime when individuals may have other commitments [e.g., personal care for adult dependents]). Reducing sex and gender biases calls for active involvement at all levels including setting metrics for participation, monitoring frameworks, feedback mechanisms, and identification of gender-sensitive individuals to mentor or audit project activities. In FishEUTrust, sex must also be considered due to its profound impact on biology, health, and behaviour amongst fish, which is a neglected research topic. Biological differences between sexes, including hormonal fluctuations, reproductive anatomy, and genetic variations, and the impact of exogenous conditions on these (e.g., environmental conditions), can influence susceptibility to diseases, responses to treatments, and overall health outcomes. Investing in sexand gender-sensitive research will ensure results are high quality and valid. Results will be more representative and robust if research considers differences between the sexes and genders, both in the workplace and in research activities. Further, language that seeks to protect anonymity of participants (e.g., people, patients, subjects, or users) does not distinguish between either biological males and females, or those identifying as men and women, but also encourages conclusions based on partial datasets (e.g., biological males only) or inappropriate application (i.e., extrapolation to whole populations). For example, research on a new breast cancer treatment must include males – irrespective of gender – because ca. 10% of patients annually are biological males, many of whom feel excluded now. However, in this example, consideration needs to be given to how studies access /communicate with those who are biological males but identify as female or neutral genders to be inclusive. Gender-sensitive research is relevant to broader groups of end-users. Even research that does not apparently concern a human research population (e.g., food labels, algorithms) still has human designers (e.g., advertisers, coders) and end-users (i.e., those purchasing and preparing meals, using an app) with different needs and aspirations that might influence outcomes and subsequent exploitation. 16 Dissemination level - Public e.g., Equitable procurement practices Gender responsive communications e.g., Numbers of individual identifying as male and female in supply chain, marketing, and engagement e.g., Gender responsive product design and development Safe working environment Social responsibility, e.g., environment, economic, and social e.g., Safe and healthy workplace for all employees Gender is embedded in corporate social responsibility activities, philanthropy, public advocacy, and partnerships Improved understanding of: (i) Sex-related organism level effects, i.e., morphology, behaviour, physiology (e.g., stress, immune function, aggression), and bioenergetics (ii) Impact of climate change on fish and fisheries including aquaculture, e.g., disease control, costs, etc. Sex, water pH, oxygen concentration, growth rate, density, social state, temperature To be identified (audit 2023) To be identified (audit 2023) To be identified (audit 2023) FishEUTrust is committed to measuring baseline, essential, and complementary indicators that measure gender equality, and taking appropriate action to promote empowerment of employees, especially those who identify as female, as well as ensure scientific rigor and accuracy by accounting for biological sex that can significantly impact research outcomes. Also, going forward results of this monitoring will be published online (project website). 17 Dissemination level - Public 5. Conclusions In generating Deliverable 9.3 Gender Action Plan - Draft, FishEUTrust has determined an approach leading to improved gender equality in the context of the wider food research landscape. The gender equality plan will be developed and progressed through: Step 1: Better understanding amongst beneficiaries and individuals at all levels e.g., examples of inclusive language Step 2. Inspiration from existing strategies e.g., increased awareness and understanding of EU-, national and organisational approaches Step 3: Identification and utilisation of existing resources e.g., training programmes, strategic documents Step 4. Development of qualitative sex and gender measures (COUNTING) Step 5. Continuous over-sight and audit of FishEUTrust activities (COUNTING) e.g., representation at General Assembly, Executive Board and WP levels Step 6. Monitoring of sex and gender variables, progress, and evaluation of impact (COUNTING) e.g., FishEUTrust audit, uptake of outputs (e.g., training), impact of sex in fish research Step 7. Sharing of quantitative sex and gender indicators (SHARING) e.g., exploration of information describing under-representation Step 8. Action on sex and gender as variables in FishEUTrust activities and outputs (CHANGING) Step 9. Ownership of gender issues through excellence in research (CHANGING) e.g., benefits of gender-sensitive research and equality Step 10. Greater visibility of gender issues (SHARING & CHANGING) e.g., publishing of the gender equality plan on the website, key messages tailored to different audiences, promotion of measures through internal and external events, reports on progress Within each of the steps, which may not run sequentially, objectives and measures for gender monitoring and equality amongst Beneficiaries and individuals will be: • SPECIFIC, objectives and measures should answer what, why, how, who, when and where • MEASURABLE, establish quantitative and/or qualitative indicators and respective targets • ATTAINABLE, ensure objectives and measures are achievable within the context of FishEUTrust • REALISTIC, objectives and measures must be relevant for Beneficiaries and FishEUTrust and feasible within the project timeframe as well as available resources • TIME-RELATED - activities must be feasible within the project timeframe as well as available resources Finally, Beneficiaries will be encouraged to use a FishEUTrust sex and gender checklist during implementation that will raise awareness and act as a reminder about sex and gender issues.