Examining gender discrimination for more equitable science
A workshop at Cnr addressed gender discrimination in research, offering strategies for promoting equality. Expert discussions and group sessions highlighted biases and the need for inclusive approaches, with contributions from Cnr Nano, supporting the Cnr Gender Equality Plan.
A workshop organized by the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policy (CNR-Irpps) aimed at all staff of the National Research Council (CNR) was held at the Milan 1 Research Area on June 21. The event entitled “Know Them to Avoid Them. Ideas to Counter Discrimination in Science” addressed the issue of recognizing latent discrimination in the academic and organizational life of the CNR. It was led by the Gender Equality Officer Ilaria Di Tullio and the training group of the H2020 MINDtheGEPs project.
The day began with an introductory session by gender expert Angela Balzano from the University of Turin, who illustrated the multiple dimensions of discrimination, focusing on the importance of recognizing them to effectively counteract them. Her talk offered very stimulating insights for the participants. In particular, Balzano explained how the approach known as Standpoint Theory can be effective in analyzing inequalities and promoting a discrimination-free science. Standpoint theory, which originated within feminist studies to extend to other areas of the social sciences, emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives of marginalized people to gain a deeper and more critical understanding of society. “The basic idea is that people belonging to marginalized groups, such as women in scientific research, have a unique and privileged perspective on social reality because they directly experience injustices and discriminations that those in dominant groups often do not live through and are unable to recognize,” explained Balzano.
Next, Melanie Timpel (Cnr-Imem), Luisa Neri (Cnr-Nano), and Martina Mattiazzi (Cnr-Ismed) took the floor with an enlightening three-voice presentation titled “Numbers, Words, and the Language of Disparity.” They presented data and examples related to gender disparity in the context of European, national, and internal Cnr research context. Melanie Timpel presented data on inequality in scientific careers that show that although the trend is positive, there is still a strong inequality in leadership positions. Luisa Neri from Cnr-Nano examined the use of language in representing female scientists, considering the effects on visibility and self-perception, especially in the media. Finally, Martina Mattiazzi (Cnr-Ismed) focused on basic concepts of discrimination, such as stereotypes, biases, and privilege, emphasizing how gender issues, also from an intersectional perspective, are relevant for the entire research community.
The three speakers, along with five other colleagues from Cnr, are trainers for the MINDtheGEPs project, funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 program. The project aims to promote gender equality in the research field through the development and implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in participating institutions. Project activities include training for research staff, mentoring, leadership training on gender biases and stereotypes, promoting gender equality in scientific careers, and integrating the gender dimension into research content.
In the central session of the workshop, participants collaborated in groups to identify forms of discrimination found in writings depicting experiences in the world of scientific research. A plenary feedback session followed, during which Ilaria Di Tullio, Angela Balzano, and the trainers discussed the results that emerged from the discussions.
With Gender Equality Officer Di Tullio's closing remarks, the workshop concluded as another step forward in CNR's efforts to address and overcome gender discrimination, consolidating the importance of inclusive and equality strategies in our research communities.
This event represents one of the actions outlined in the Cnr Gender Equality Plan 2022-2024, Objective B.3, as indicated in DG Resolution no.139 of 2022.
Workshop Organizing committee and speakers (Angela Balzano, Claudia Caddeo, Martina Mattiazzi, Ilaria Di Tullio, Luisa Neri, Melanie Timpel)
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