Gender Equality Plan

ERCOFTAC has robust leadership and governance arrangements for diversity and inclusion. The Executive Committee is responsible for maintaining and implementing the Gender Equality Plan.

We fulfil the Horizon Europe GEP eligibility:

Mandatory requirements

Public document
The GEP must be a formal document published on the institution’s website, signed by the top management and actively communicated within the institution. It should demonstrate a commitment to gender equality, set clear goals and detailed actions and measures to achieve them.

Dedicated resources
A GEP must have dedicated resources and expertise in gender equality to implement the plan. Organisations should consider what type and volume of resources are required to support an ongoing process of sustainable organisational change.

We have a dedicated Leadership and Governance structure <link to https://www.ercoftac.org/about/structure_of_the_association/> with assigned respinsibility at Executive Committee level for Gender Equality.

Data collection and monitoring
Organisations must collect sex/ gender disaggregated data on personnel (and students, for the establishments concerned) with annual reporting based on indicators. Organisations should consider how to select the most relevant indicators, how to collect and analyse the data, including resources to do so, and should ensure that data is published and monitored on an annual basis. This data should inform the GEP’s objectives and targets, indicators, and ongoing evaluation of progress.

ERCOFTAC reviews its membership and the staff salaries annually, including a focus on progress made and challenges faced in achieving our equality and diversity objectives.

Training
The GEP must also include awareness-raising and training actions on gender equality. These activities should engage the whole organisation and be an evidence-based, ongoing and long-term process. Activities should cover unconscious gender biases training aimed at staff and decision-makers and can also include communication activities and gender equality training that focuses on specific topics or addresses specific groups.

The Chairman and one other Executive Committee member hold a dedicated annual session with the ERCOFTAC staff with a focus on Diversity and Inclusion and Unconscious Bias. We provide funding and mentoring for staff members to attend targeted development opportunities.

Recommended requirements:

Work-life balance and organisational culture
GEPs aim to promote gender equality through the sustainable transformation of organisational culture. Organisations should implement necessary policies to ensure an open and inclusive working environment, the visibility of women in the organisation and externally, and that the contribution of women is properly valued. Inclusive work-life balance policies and practices can also be considered in a GEP, including parental leave policies, flexible working time arrangements and support for caring responsibilities.

ERCOFTAC prioritises gender equality through the sustainable transformation of organisational culture. See https://www.ercoftac.org/ercoftac_news/spotlight-on-the-women-in-ercoftac---prof-maria-vittoria-salvetti/

Gender balance in leadership and decision-making
Increasing the number and share of women in leadership and decision-making positions touches upon all aspects in the GEP. Measures to ensure that women can take on and stay in leadership positions can include providing decision-makers with targeted gender training, adapting processes for selection and appointment of staff on committees, ensuring gender balance through gender quotas, and making committee membership more transparent.

ERCOFTAC reviews gender balance in its organisation structure twice annually in order to ensuring gender balance in its committee membership.

Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
Critically reviewing selection procedures and remedying any biases can ensure that women and men get equal chances to develop and advance their careers. Establishing recruitment codes of conduct, involving gender equality officers in recruitment and promotion committees, proactively identifying women in underrepresented fields and considering organisation-wide workload planning models can be important measures to consider in a GEP.

There is a general under-representation of women in the technical disciplines represented by ERCOFTAC. ERCOFTAC works to address this via is pro-active and positive action as part of its Gender Equality Plan.

Integration of the gender dimension into research and teaching content
The GEP should consider how sex and gender analysis will be included in the research or educational outputs of an organisation. It can set out the organisation’s commitment to incorporating sex and gender in its research priorities, the processes for ensuring that the gender dimension is considered in research and teaching, and the support and capacity provided for researchers to develop methodologies that incorporate sex and gender analysis. Research funding and research performing organisations both have a role to play in ensuring this.

ERCOFTAC is committed to ensuring that the gender dimension is considered in research and teaching, and the support and capacity provided for researchers to develop methodologies that incorporate sex and gender analysis.

Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment
Organisations establishing a GEP should consider taking steps to ensure they have clear institutional policies on sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence. Policies should establish and codify the expected behaviour of employees, outline how members of the organisation can report instances of gender-based violence and how any such instances will be investigated and sanctions applied. They should also consider how information and support is provided to victims or witnesses and how the whole organisation can be mobilised to establish a culture of zero tolerance toward sexual harassment and violence.

Employee contracts have clear grievance escalation procedures including including sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence.

ercoftac_gender_equality_plan.pdf