Women's careers in science and university and glass ceilings encountered

The European Parliament adopted by 550 votes to 97, with 41 abstentions, a resolution on women’s careers in science and universities, and glass ceilings encountered.

Members recall that the term ‘glass ceiling’ was first coined in 1986 by the journalists of the Wall Street Journal. It describes the invisible barriers (based on prejudices) that limit the advancement of women to higher positions in their career paths.

The calculation range of glass ceiling reflects the degree of difficulty faced by women so that they can advance their career at levels similar to those of their male colleagues. Women are hugely under-represented in STEM-related (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics) educational fields and careers, accounting for just 24 % of science and engineering professionals. According to the 2012 She Figures publication, women account for only 10 % of university rectors.

Access to university posts: Parliament deplored the fact that there is evidence of gender segregation in university and school hierarchies in Europe and other advanced economies. While 59 % of university graduates in the EU-28 are women, they account for only 18 % of full university professors.

The lack of women in science and research has resulted in a male default in R&D.

Reaffirming that equality between men and women is one of the principles on which the European Union was founded, Parliament regretted that women still experience unequal access to research positions, funding, publishing and academic awards.

Positive measures: the Commission and the Member States are called upon to:

• analyse the existing legal provisions with the aim of properly implementing and, if necessary, revising them in order to enforce equal treatment of women and men;
• ensure compliance with the principle of non-discrimination in all types of employment contract or funding, as well as the legal right to equal pay for equal work for all elements of remuneration granted to men and women;
• include support for and promotion of peer support networks and the sharing of best practices across Europe and beyond;
• encourage synergies and positive links between STEM subjects and the arts and humanities;
• promote positive female role models at all levels of education;
• strengthen initiatives and programmes encouraging women to continue their scientific and academic careers and supporting female scientists – in particular young female scientists – participating in research programmes and grant applications;
• develop effective and attractive STEM curricular and teaching methods to keep girls engaged in science.

Balancing professional and personal life: Parliament called for more flexible working conditions for both male and female researchers, allowing them to combine work with family life, and for elimination of the gender pay gap in the interests of gender equality.

The Commission and Member States are urged to:

• design programmes to actively encourage women to continue their careers after maternity or parental leave;
• provide funding for re-entry programmes which should be tailored to the needs of each institution and include the training needed to keep up with scientific developments, as well as allowing more flexibility regarding women's scientific production following the birth or adoption of a child and providing adequate childcare services;
• recognise the need for adequate paternity leave and paternity pay to help combat the norm of the woman being the parent to take a career break.

Institutional changes and projects: the Commission is called upon to propose a recommendation to Member States containing common guidelines on institutional change to promote gender equality in universities and research institutions.

Parliament welcomed the fact that the Commission is financing the creation of gender equality plans through projects under the 7th Framework Programme and Horizon 2020. However, it called on the Commission to step up its coordination role regarding the gender mainstreaming initiatives within the European Research Area.

Member States are urged to:

• engage in partnerships with research organisations and universities to foster cultural and institutional changes on gender;
• work with academic institutions to provide support and more opportunities for career progression at key transition points such as between Ph.D., postdoctoral and lectureship posts;
• work with academic institutions to proactively encourage women to apply for positions and ensure female representation on interview panels.

The resolution stressed the need to systemise the availability of gender-disaggregated statistics and to monitor the situation of women scientists at Member State level.

Steps forward: Parliament included a series of recommendations inviting Member States and the Commission to:

• provide incentives to research institutes and universities to introduce and apply gender equality plans, to introduce a gender dimension in their national research programmes;
• create gender equality plans as a precondition for access to public funding in research, science and academia;
• encourage employers to take measures to combat all forms of workplace mobbing affecting women;
• involve the media and the private sector in eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting mutual respect;
• consistently apply gender -balanced budgeting to all programmes and measures providing funding in the area of science, academia and research;
• further strengthen networking among female scientists at national, regional and EU level.

Parliament reiterated the importance of ensuring increased participation of women in decision-making and of ensuring gender balance on evaluation panels, selection boards and all other relevant committees, as well as nominated panels and committees taking decisions related to recruitment, funding, research programmes and publishing.

The Council is called upon to adopt, during the Luxembourg presidency, conclusions concerning gender equality in research.

Lastly, Members propose the introduction of a 'Women and Science in Europe' prize, to be awarded to employers (undertakings, institutions or authorities), that lead the way in promoting women in academic and scientific circles, supporting female managers and ensuring equal pay.