Schultz, I./D.
Hummel/D. Hayn/C.
Empacher (2001): Gender in
Research - Gender Impact Assessment of the specific programmes of the Fifth
Framework Programme: EVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUB-PROGRAMME,
Final Report, Brussels
In the middle of the 90ies, the European Commission started
a process with the objective to take the gender dimension better into
account within research and research policy. In this context, the European
Commission launched a gender impact assessment (GIA) exercise during the
period June 2000 - April 2001 with the view to assessing the way in which
gender issues are being addressed within the Fifth Framework Programme
(FP5). Seven studies were carried out by different research teams
representing European Universities, research institutes and companies
specialised in gender research, in order to introduce a critical dimension
in the way gender issues are treated throughout the 5th Framework Programme.
These GIA studies evaluated the following thematic programmes of the FP5:
Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources, User-friendly
Information Society, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development as well
as the three horizontal programmes: Confirming the International Role of
Community Research, Promotion of Innovation and Encouragement of
Participation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Improving the Human
Research Potential and the Socio-economic Knowledge Base. Each study
assessed whether and how gender issues have been considered in the
respective area and provided recommendations for a better integration of the
gender dimension in future European Community research in that area . The
results of the studies have been presented at the international conference
on 'Gender and Research', held in Brussels in November 2001.
The Institute for social-ecological research (ISOE) evaluated the gender
impacts of the Environment and Sustainable Development Sub-Programme (ESD)
of the Fifth Framework Programme. The key findings of this study are given
in the Final Report. (project-information)
The Final Report consists of three parts:
- Firstly, the evaluation concept of the Gender Impact Assessment is
briefly described.
- Secondly, the participation of women in the elaboration, management
and implementation of the ESD Sub-Programme is analysed.
- Thirdly, the results of the content analysis are presented, i.e. the
qualitative assessment of the ESD Sub-Programme with respect to gender
aspects.
At the end, recommendations are given against the background of the
evaluation.
The ESD-Programme as a whole has been evaluated with respect to two
levels:
- An analysis of the organisational level. That means the gender
composition and participation of women in the ESD Sub-Programme,
including an analysis of the institutions and bodies involved in the
elaboration and implementation of the ESD Sub-Programme, as well as an
analysis of the projects submitted and funded by the programme.
- An analysis of the level of content assessing the integration of the
gender dimension, including the contents introduced by the objectives of
the work programme, as well as the contents of the submitted and funded
projects (proposals).
Furthermore an analysis of the thematic fields concerning the level of
content is given. The ESD Sub-Programme consists of seven thematic fields
(Key Actions and Generic Activities):
- Sustainable management and quality of water;
- Global change, climate and biodiversity;
- Sustainable marine ecosystems;
- City of tomorrow and cultural heritage;
- The fight against major natural and technological hazards;
- Development of generic Earth observation technologies;
- Socio-economic aspects of environmental change in the perspective of
sustainable development.
All these thematic fields are analysed with respect to gender impacts.
The evaluation of the gender relevance of the ESD Sub-Programme is based
on two main documents: on the Work Programme (version of 1999) and the
priorities formulated in the thematic fields of the ESD-Sub-Programme on one
hand and on the 2125 project proposals of the first and second call of the
Sub-Programme on the other hand. This analysis is based on the summarised
descriptions ('abstract' and 'objectives') of the proposals.
Leading Question of the Gender Impact Assessment:
Gender Research in environmental research is confronted with a strong
orientation towards natural scientific and technical research as well as
lack of data and analysis of the situation of women and their share in
research. Thus, the general question of our Gender Impact study of the ESD
Sub-Programme is:
"Do environmental and sustainability research offer better
conditions for the participation of women and the inclusion of gender
issues?"
An answer to this question is given in the Final Report.
The report itself is out of print. The executive summary is available (5
Euro + postage). Please order ISOE order
form
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