Supporting gender equality in the network

The TREAT-NMD Network currently encompasses 22 partners in 11 European countries and is currently integrating well over 300 scientists and clinicians. To ensure that both men and women are equally represented in the Network we have drafted a policy for gender inclusion in the Network.

  • TREAT-NMD will strive to employ an equal number of women and men among the research staff, with specific efforts to consider gender issues in recruitment practices. The target rate of 50% of women employed at different positions will be monitored. Therefore, all participants in the Consortium are committed to promoting equality of opportunity in recruitment of staff and students. As far as possible, women will be equally represented on interview panels. TREAT-NMD will collect gender statistics on the workforce employed by the consortium.
  • TREAT-NMD will organise seminars and workshops to raise awareness about the need to increase gender equality in the field of the project. Actions to bring more women into the project and attract female students to neuromuscular research will be undertaken. Provide means for female researchers to acquire additional or complementary skills to offer them opportunities and responsibilities within TREAT-NMD.
  • Organisation’s awareness of the importance of gender equality in research structures will be increased. Incentives will be given to employ women in laboratories. Presentations will be made at conferences. In the scheme to raise awareness in science, students will be invited to visit laboratories with a view to increasing society’s awareness and understanding of science. This activity will focus on raising interest among young women. Besides, different family-friendly policies will be initiated (opportunities for part-time working and working from home, sabbaticals, support for both parents on maternity or paternity leave).
  • Establishment of a system for monitoring gender equality in mobility schemes such as equality of access and participation and subsequent impact on professional careers. In mobility, extra funds will be available to cover child care costs for mobility of female researchers who have a primary role in the care of young dependents. Moreover, in order to ensure gender equality, efforts have to be done to obtain and disseminate data and information on the gender aspects of mobility in consortium like information on the different experiences, needs and interests of women and men concerning mobility, due to issues such as discipline, occupation and marital status. No discrimination will ever be made according to the marital status.

Through monitoring of the Network partners 39% of the Governing Board representatives are women and 47% of the researchers and 72% of PhD students are women.

 
12 Apr 2017