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Gender Equality in the Production of Scientific Knowledge - the UC commitment

Diversity in scientific research teams, inclusive recruitment processes, inclusive training and communication, and gender-sensitive knowledge production ensure higher quality research with greater impact.

Research is affected by specific social and cultural contexts that shape the way scientists think and see the world. Gender is an implicit part of these contexts. The way scientific knowledge is produced and translated into society is therefore not unrelated to the structural system that produces gender inequalities and allocates distinct hierarchical roles and positions. The invisibility of gender or the (re) production of stereotypes in scientific research not only limits the impacts of research (which may be irrelevant for half the population) but also carries risks and potentiates damages by making recommendations and contributing to changes that have not been inclusively tested.

Gender is a dynamic concept that presupposes the questioning of gender norms and stereotypes and the consideration of the changing needs and social roles of women and men. Integrating a gender perspective into research and innovation implies taking into account the biological and social characteristics of women and men at all stages of research, from the formulation of research questions, to the collection, analysis and dissemination of data, and the development of concepts and theories. It also involves ensuring the balanced participation of men and women in scientific work, ensuring an equality-promoting culture and working conditions.

Given the urgency of promoting Gender Equality in scientific research, and the reinforcement of measures for gender equality in various funding programs, including the Horizon Europe Framework Program, Gender-Equal Research or GendER@UC aims to strengthen the integration of the gender perspective in the processes and content of UC research.

From an intersectional perspective, we intend to promote gender equality in research conducted at the University of Coimbra, both in terms of management of the research process and career, removing barriers and encouraging balanced participation of female and male researchers in teams, resource management, and decision making, and in terms of the content of the knowledge produced and disseminated at the UC, promoting a more inclusive, representative and socially relevant knowledge.

Gender equality in the Horizon Europe funding program

The representation of women in science and the changing gender profile of higher education and research institutions have gained increasing prominence on the European Union's agenda, particularly over the last two decades.

In recent years, the European Commission has addressed gender equality in scientific research mainly in two contexts: within the European Research Area (ERA) and through its main funding instrument - the Research Framework Programmes. Currently, gender equality is one of the 6 priorities of the ERA Roadmap 2015-2020 and is present in Horizon 2020 from a double approach: as a cross-cutting issue to the whole program and through the funding of specific initiatives supporting the strategy for gender equality (in which SUPERA fits). This framework reinforces the relevance of commitment and institutional action for gender equality within one of the most relevant pillars of action of the University of Coimbra: scientific research.

For more information about GendER@UC: iii@uc.pt, research@uc.pt

Note: Issues related to abuse of power, moral and sexual harassment, or improper conduct in the University of Coimbra Community are regulated by the Code of Good Conduct for the Prevention and Combat of Harassment at Work [in PT]. The University of Coimbra has a reporting channel for internal issues available at www.uc.pt/go/denuncia.