News, Announcements & Press Releases

19. November 2012 11:18

The European Gender Summit - more women in science, better research results for everybody.

The European Gender Summit – set to take place on the 29th and 30th November 2012 in the European Parliament, Brussels – is a sold-out event that will gather together 400 key stakeholders from across the research, academic and policy spheres to call for science excellence through an awareness of gender issues.

How can Europe avoid losing talent and enhance its competitive edge in research and innovation?

Why is a gender-sensitive approach crucial for driving research and innovation quality?

The Summit will launch the development of a European gender equality standard - a guideline for better research and innovation practices. This standard will become an invaluable tool for research institutions, funding organisations, industry innovation drivers and policy makers alike. Moreover, it will help in the concrete implementation of the gender equality objectives in the new European Framework programme for research and innovation - HORIZON 2020.

This year, the Summit’s focus will be on reiterating the importance of including gender in EU science and innovation policy, specifically Horizon 2020, The European Research Area and the Innovation Union. It will present the latest gender research evidence, showcase examples of initiatives for achieving structural change and improving the quality of research and innovation, and will explore how the gender equality agendas of European and national players can be aligned to enhance science’s contribution to improving the lives of Europe’s citizens.

 “The multi-stakeholder dialogue promoted by the Gender Summit will help redefine the research and innovation landscape to give women and men an equal role in research and society, as co-owners and co-solvers of Europe’s societal challenges.”  Britta Thomsen, Member of the European Parliament.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

About ESF
The European Science Foundation (ESF) is an independent, non-governmental organisation that promotes collaboration in scientific research, funding of research and science policy across Europe. Its members are 72 national funding and research-performing organisations and learned societies from 30 countries. www.esf.org

The European Science Foundation and genSET are co-convenors of the European Gender Summit.