WOMEN FOR SCIENCE

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Women for Science public policies for improving
gender equity
Alice Abreu Director of ICSU-LAC
WOMEN FOR SCIENCE Round Table I. Gender and
Public Policies in Education, Science and
Technology. Improving gender equity Academia
Mexicana de Ciencias 20-21 abril 2009
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• The gender gap, especially in scientific
  professions, must be a concern of all societies.
  Ignoring this dimension is a major obstacle to
  womens ability to participate in the Knowledge
  Society and is also depriving society of a
  significant portion of its intellectual force, a
  sure way to weaken national scientific capacity.
  
• (Recommendations document, Roundtable The
  Fundamental Role of Science, Technology,
  Engineering, Innovation and Science Education
  within the Framework of Discussion for the IV
  Summit of the Americas, held in Buenos Aires,
  Argentina, September 5, 2005)

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Women in Science and Technologythe international
context 1990s

• 1995 World Conference on Women Beijin
• 1996 Gender Advisory Board UNCSTD
• 1998 Bariloche Meeting in preparation of WCS
• 1999 World Conference of Science Budapest
• Thematic Meeting II.4 Gender Mainstreaming in
  Science and Technology
• TWOWS / GAB / UNESCO / ICSU

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Traditional and new institutionalizations in
Latin America
TWOWS Vice Presidents for Latin America GAB
National Committees in Peru and Brazil UNESCO
- The LOREAL UNESCO Women for Science
Program - Catedra Regional UNESCO Mujer,
Ciencia y Tecnología en América Latina -
Regional research projects
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Traditional and new institutionalizations...

• OAS 1s Meeting of Ministers of ST - 2004
• Hemispheric Initiative - Recommendation for
  integrating the gender perspective in Science
  and Technology Programs and Policy in the
  Americas
• MUJER Y CIENCIA Network of women scientists in
  Natural and Biological Sciences (2004 Brazil,
  2006 Mexico, 2008 Bolivia)

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International Reports
UNESCO 2007 Science, Technology and Gender An
International Report
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New actorsInter Academy Council
Women for Science
Inventing a better future
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The nature of the problem(Geoff Oldham- GAB)

• agreement on the basic facts about the nature of
  the gender dimension regarding science and
  technology and about possible solutions.
• In many countries, especially in Africa, there
  are fewer girls than boys that have access to
  primary education, and of those children that do
  have access, fewer girls than boys learn about
  science.
• In many countries fewer girls than boys study
  scientific and technological subjects in either
  secondary or tertiary education.
• In many countries fewer women than men pursue
  scientific or technological careers, and far
  fewer reach the top professional, managerial or
  policy-making positions.
• Development programmes frequently have not taken
  this gender dimension into account.
• Not all countries have the same situation.
• There is some statistical evidence to suggest
  that the situation is improving, especially with
  regard to the proportion of female students who
  study science and engineering in universities.
  But there is widespread agreement that country
  comparisons over time are hindered by the paucity
  of good gender disaggregated statistical data.

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Reasons for the problem (Geoff Oldham- GAB)

• There is more divergence of opinion on the
  reasons for these facts. Some of the divergence
  is due to the different situations which exist in
  different countries and regions of the world.
  They include cultural differences which in some
  countries serve to discourage girls from studying
  science in schools or universities, and from
  pursuing scientific careers. Other reasons
  frequently advanced are discrimination, career
  interruptions due to childbirth and family
  responsibilities, gender stereotyping of science
  and technology, and the relative lack of women in
  policy and decision-making positions. It is also
  recognized that the full gender dimension of
  science and its impact on society was imperfectly
  understood and warrants further study and
  research.

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Does it matter? (Geoff Oldham- GAB)

• Human rights and social justice. All individuals
  should have equality of opportunity to a science
  education and to a scientific career, and for
  women and men to benefit equally from advances in
  science and technology.
• Scientific and economic reasons. If women are not
  given equal opportunity to become scientists and
  engineers then a country denies itself its full
  complement of scientifically creative minds. This
  can be a serious handicap both to the development
  of science and to the generation of wealth in an
  increasingly competitive world.
• Social reasons. Women frequently perform
  different roles and tasks both within and outside
  the home to those performed by men. It is
  important that both men and women are able to
  bring a scientific and technical education to
  bear on the performance of these roles and tasks.
• Reasons of insight. Some women, it has been
  suggested, bring different insights, values,
  motivations and methods of work to their
  scientific jobs than do most men and other women.
  The inclusion of more women in science will
  enrich the total pool of talents, insights and
  motivations, and increase the probability that
  science will serve the needs of all humanity.

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Transformative Action Areas feasible and
necessary in MISSING LINKS

• Gender equity in science and technology
  education.
• Removing obstacles to women in scientific and
  technological careers.
• Making science responsive to the needs of
  society.
• Making the science and technology decision-making
  process more "gender aware.
• Relating better with local knowledge systems.
• Addressing ethical issues in science and
  technology.
• Improving the collection of gender disaggregated
  data for policy makers.
• In 2006, Transformative Action Area 8 was added
• 8. Equal opportunity for entry and advancement
  into larger-scale science, technology,
  engineering, mathematics disciplines (STEM) and
  innovation systems.

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OAS Ministerial Meeting 2004 Hemispheric
Initiative
Recommendations for Integrating a Gender
Perspective in Science and Technology Policies
and Programs in the Americas
Gender and Science and Technology from
an International Perspective. By Sophia
Huyer Equidad de Género en Ciencia y Tecnología
en América Latina Bases y Proyecciones en la
Construcción de Conocimientos, Agendas
e Institucionalidades. Por Gloria Bonder
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1) Institutional strengthening Key strategies
for a new commitment with society

• ensure that the gender perspective is integrated
  in the science and technology policies and
  programs of the Member States, supported by the
  appropriate budget allocation,
• Strengthen the coordination between science and
  technology ministries and national councils of
  science and technology, and the OAS, CIM, GAB,
  UNESCO
• Sensitize and train those charged with the
  formulation of science and technology policies
  and programs to integrate a gender perspective
• Establish channels for systematic dialogue among
  science and technology researchers, specialists
  in gender studies, policy-and decision-makers,
  and pertinent social organizations, in order to
  plan actions, evaluate their execution, and
  promote the participation of representative civil
  society institutions related to science,
  technology, engineering and innovation in policy
  discussion.

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2) Creation, acquisition, utilization and
dissemination of knowledge

• In the 21st century, the creation, acquisition,
  utilization and dissemination of knowledge must
  have the full participation of women and men. In
  order to achieve this, we must fully integrate
  the gender perspective in science, technology,
  engineering and innovation and we must generate,
  gather and disseminate knowledge to support
  effective evidence-based policy and
  decision-making.
• Organize existing knowledge to generate a data
  base which includes research projects,
  researchers, centers, and other information of
  interest that can serve as reference and
  orientation for future studies in this field.
  This action could be undertaken by the Office of
  Education, Science and Technology of the OAS, in
  coordination with national institutions
  responsible for science and technology in the
  region, the CIM and other pertinent multilateral
  organizations.

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2) Creation, acquisition, utilization and
dissemination of knowledge

• Support the efforts of RICYT and other pertinent
  initiatives and programs to develop gender
  indicators for the area of science and
  technology, ensuring that all statistics gathered
  are disaggregated by sex.
• Undertake studies to address new topics and
  priority areas for gender in science and
  technology, among them current status, at
  national level, of the participation of women in
  all of the branches, levels and specializations
  of science, technology, engineering and
  innovation analysis of the everyday practices
  and institutional structures that reflect
  concrete behaviors related to gender inequality
  in opportunities, in institutional cultures, and
  in the academic community
• Widely disseminate, for the purpose of
  decision-making, the results of the research
  undertaken in the last two decades that links
  gender and science and technology.

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3) Education and training Gender equity in
access and quality.

• The highest priority must be given to improving
  the quality of science and technology education
  at all levels, with particular attention to
  eliminating the effects of gender bias and
  promoting creativity and a critical point of view
  at all levels, especially at the earliest stages.
  In conjunction with the ministries of education
  and research institutions, including academia, we
  recommend to
• Develop initiatives to ensure equal opportunity
  for men and women to access scientific education
  at all levels, and in particular, to increase the
  participation of girls and women in scientific
  activities from early childhood
• Renovate curricula, teaching materials, and train
  teachers to integrate the gender perspective at
  all levels, in order to provide high quality
  scientific and technological education
• Create public awareness programs on the
  importance of science and technology, including
  initiatives to encourage parents to provide their
  children with early stimuli during the first
  three years of childhood.

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4) Towards a gender-equitable ST workforce

• While the numbers of women and girls enrolled in
  science and technology subjects is increasing,
  the low translation of womens scientific
  training to the recruitment, retention and
  advancement of women into the active science and
  technology workforce represents a loss of
  investment in science and technology education as
  well as the loss of national scientific capacity.
• Collect sex-disaggregated data on womens
  participation in the science and technology
  workforce, including by discipline, sector,
  salary and level, as well as longitudinal data.
• Initiate employment and performance assessment
  policies which address womens life
  responsibilities, sexual harassment, and career
  development.
• Recommend action policy to support womens
  increased representation in research teams and in
  governing bodies of science and technology.
• Implement policies and programs to support
  womens re-entry into the workforce through
  bridging, retraining and updating programs.
• Implement programs, awards and fellowships to
  recognize and promote womens achievements in
  science and technology, including at the
  international level.

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5) Science and technology for economic and social
development we cannot afford not to maximize the
use of human capacity.

• National and regional policies that recognize the
  relation of gender to social development and
  science and technology must be developed and
  implemented in conjunction with the ministries of
  social development, labor, and other pertinent
  ministries, and national gender institutions.
• Develop and implement policies and programs to
  support the advancement of women in micro, small
  and medium enterprises and facilitate their
  access to scientific knowledge, technology,
  credit and other resources.
• Promote knowledge and application of science
  and technology that addresses the needs of women
  and men in situations of poverty, taking into
  account the gendered nature of indigenous
  knowledge.
• Encourage public officials and governments to
  be more explicit in their policy platforms about
  how they intend to use "science and technology"
  to meet the basic needs of both men and women
  equitably in society.

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6) Building the knowledge society through gender
equity and equality the new technology should
not reproduce old inequalities.

• Women and men should be equal partners in the
  design and production of the knowledge society
  and should have equal access to its use and
  benefits.
• Reduce gender barriers to Information Technology
  and Communications (ITC) education and training,
  and promote equal training opportunities in
  ITC-related fields for women and girls. Early
  intervention programs in science and technology
  should pay particular attention to young girls
  with the aim of increasing the number of women in
  ITC careers.
• In collaboration with stakeholders, formulate
  conducive ITC policies that foster
  entrepreneurship, innovation and investment, with
  particular emphasis on the promotion of
  participation by women.
• Develop gender-specific indicators on ITC use and
  needs, as well as measurable performance
  indicators to assess the impact of ITC projects
  on the lives of women and girls.

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7) The way forward Promoting awareness

• There is now considerable knowledge and
  understanding about the critical importance of
  including the gender dimension in all
  considerations of how science and technology
  contribute to sustainable development. This
  includes issues of education and training,
  employment opportunities, career development, and
  the impact of technological change on the lives
  of both women and men.
• However this knowledge is not widely known among
  policy-makers, the scientific community,
  development authorities or the general public in
  both developed and developing countries.
  Consequently, there is a need for a campaign to
  promote much greater awareness of the gender
  dimension in all aspects of science, technology
  and development. This campaign would identify the
  problems of ignoring the gender dimension and
  suggest ways for overcoming them.
• A) Further research on gender, science and
  development
• There are other issues where more knowledge is
  required before policy actions can be
  recommended. It is therefore important that
  policy research is conducted on these issues, in
  order to provide the evidence and knowledge on
  which future policies can be based.
• B) Monitoring
• To monitor implementation of the gender
  mainstreaming strategy, COMCYT and CIM should
  work together through the follow-up process

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GAB BRASIL Agreement between GAB and the
Brazilian Academy of Sciences First Meeting on
October 31st 2006
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MEMBERS

• Alice Rangel de Paiva ABREU (Chair) - ICSU-LAC
• Jussara Marques de ALMEIDA UFMG (Computer
  Science)
• Marcia Cristina Bernardes BARBOSA UFRGS
  (Physics)
• Eva Alterman BLAY USP (Sociology and Gender
  Studies)
• Sandra Negraes BRISOLLA UNICAMP (Economy)
• Yvonne Primerano MASCARENHAS USP/ABC
  (Chemistry/Physics)

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MEMBERS

• Lúcia Carvalho Pinto de MELO CGEE (Engineering)
• Magaly Peres PAZELLO PAGIC (NGO)
• Lucia Mendonça PREVIATO UFRJ/ABC (Microbiology)
• Elisa Maria da Conceição Pereira REIS UFRJ/ABC
  (Sociology)
• Elisa Maria Baggio SAITOVITCH CBPF (Physics)
• Angela ULLER UFRJ (Engineering)
• Mayana ZATZ USP/ABC (Biological Sciences)
• .

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Objective I. Activities related to improving
gender equity in science and technology
education Objective II. Activities related to
improving the collection of gender disaggregated
data for policy makers
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Objective III. Making science and technology
decision-making more gender aware Activity 3.
Strengthen the decision making process in public
policies in Science and Technology aiming at
increasing the participation of women.
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• Analysis of the historical tendencies to have a
  dynamic vision of the insertion of women in the
  different phases of education, training and
  labour force in the different ST careers.
• Stimulate the formulation of specific targets for
  the inclusion of women in the public system of
  support for ST and monitoring the attainment of
  these targets
• Formulation and implementation of awareness
  campaigns through media, scientific association,
  and educational organization, to disseminate
  values related to gender equity in ST and its
  importance to sustainable development.
• Output To increase in three years the number of
  women participating in high level decision making
  committees and boards.

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• Activity 4. Develop a series of activities to
  make advocacy within the Congress to increase
  awareness of issues related to gender, science
  and technology.
• Establish a relationship with the Multisector
  Commission of Science and Technology, to increase
  awareness of issues related to gender, science
  and technology.
• Promote campaigns related to specific issues
  relevant GST.
• Output To increase awareness of gender issues
  related to science and technology among
  congressmen. To increase the number of issues
  related to gender science and technology in the
  agenda of discussions in the Brazilian Congress.

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Objective 4 - Removing the obstacles to women
in scientific and technological careers Activity
5. To increase the visibility of women in science
by creating role models, establishing a network
between young scientists and mentors, increasing
the visibility of women scientists and changing
the image the general public has of a women
scientist. .
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• Create a folder Women in Science in Brazil with a
  small biography and achievements of selected
  Brazilian female scientists.
• Winter School in Science. Conduct once a year a
  two weeks course, in July (winter school), in one
  topic of science, in collaboration with the
  Brazilian Academy of Science. The course will
  receive the name of a woman scientist and the
  classes will be given only by women scientists
  selected by the organizers. Students, however,
  will be of both sexes (50 each) a total of 30
  students selected from the high level graduate
  programs in the selected area.

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• Career Training Workshop. Conduct women-only
  career development training. Develop a one day
  workshop on career training that could be offered
  during the large congresses and meetings of the
  different scientific disciplines or in different
  research centers and universities departments
  and graduate programs.
• Prize for Women in Science. The Brazilian Academy
  of Science will give, once a year, a prize for
  the Female Scientist of the Year. The prize of U
  20 000.00 will be initially supported by
  GAB-Brazil. After 2010 other funds will have to
  be found. The prize will be under the name of a
  female Brazilian scientist.

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• Promote an award for educational digital
  materials in ST with a gender perspective.
  Promote a public award of digital educational
  material linked to ST that promotes a equitable
  vision of women and men and does not reinforce
  stereotypes. To stimulate and promote the
  creation of Brazilian digital material of ST
  content with a gender equity perspective.
• Outputs Change the way women scientists if
  portrayed by the media. Decrease the number of
  drop outs at the beginning of the scientific
  careers. Increase the presence of women in top
  positions in ST system. Increase visibility for
  senior productive women scientists in Brazil.
  Increase the availability of good quality digital
  material in Portuguese of ST content with a
  gender equity perspective.

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• Activity 6 . Increase the presence and
  participation of women in the national innovation
  system.
• Include the gender dimension of different data
  bases and programs related to the innovation
  system To propose the inclusion of the variable
  sex in the questionnaire and for sex
  disaggregated results to be made available by the
  the IBGE in the Industrial Research of
  Technological Innovation PINTEC, that, since
  2001, gathers information on different aspects of
  the innovation process in the Brazilian
  industrial enterprises.

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• Influencing Decision Makers to Redress Gender
  Inequalities in Science
• 2009
• Pilot Project in Brazil
• Supported by CNPq

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• Influencing Decision Makers to Redress Gender
  Inequalities in Science
• Analysis of Brazilian science and technology data
  bases from a gender perspective.
• Study of the UNESCO Oreal Scholarship program of
  the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

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Brazil Institutions, research groups,
researchers and PhDs at the Directory of Research
Groups of CNPq - 1993/2006
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Distribution of Researchers by sex - 1993-2006
 
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www.icsu-lac.org
Thank you!
alice.abreu_at_icsu-lac.org secretariat_at_icsu-lac.org