GS22 EU

The 22nd Gender Summit takes place as societies and economies are beginning to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and are facing intensified disruptions caused by the effects of climate change as well as global social economic upheavals caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The impact of COVID -19 on science, and what it revealed about gender and social inequalities, as well as gender gaps and biases in knowledge, has dominated the programme of GS21, which took place in April 2021. You can read the GS21 reports with the recommendation for science and policy here. The background for GS22 are gender and social inequality issues in emerging areas of research and innovation and in the recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in achieving scientific excellence. The phrase “making sure that no one is left behind” has entered the political and policy discourse outside the SDG agenda. For instance, the Group of the Chief Scientific Advisers to the EU recommended that “the transition to carbon-neutrality must be just and fair” and this opinion is repeated in the mission of the EU Just Transition Mechanism, which states that: “in order to be successful, and socially acceptable for all, the transition has to be fair and inclusive…and all possible mechanisms should be deployed to mitigate adverse consequences”. But, gender equality and gender dimensions are rarely included in the policy discourse on the European Green Deal.

The aim of GS22 is to consider what fairness, justice, and sustainability mean from scientific and gender equality perspectives. How can we ensure that women and men have the same chances to participate in shaping the transition processes: as researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, citizens, and consumers? What is needed to: 1) identify and remove gender gaps and biases in knowledge for sustainability; 2) help advance gender equality as a lever in achieving the European Green Deal, the Digital Europe, and the EU’s SDG agenda; and 3) accelerate and solidify the EU’s commitment to mainstream gender into and across existing policy framework and mechanisms, including budgets and public procurement.

The partners in GS22 are the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF); the German Research Foundation (DFG); Elsevier; Elsevier Foundation; GiSTER; JST; AIMS and UN Women.

Format
The GS22 programme will be delivered in a virtual format. It will start in the afternoon of 28th October, with a dedicated webinar to coordinate efforts by key actors in science system in developing indicators for measuring progress on diversity in science.

The scientific programme starts on the morning of 31st October and will end in the afternoon of 1st November. It will be delivered as a virtual event on the Meetyoo platform with plenary, keynote, parallel and exhibition sessions. Some parallel session will be delivered using Zoom.

Output
The 22nd Gender Summit will improve understanding of how analysis of gender equality and gender dimensions in research and innovation, together with the associated intersectional aspects, improve quality of science knowledge-making and societal relevance as well responsibility of research, and how these criteria fit into the conceptions of scientific ‘excellence.’

Further information will be published in due course, please continue to monitor the Gender Summit website