MADRID, September 13 (European Press) –
Science and Innovation Minister Diana Morant announced this Tuesday that her department is finalizing a plan for gender equality and non-discrimination in science, technology and innovation.
This was confirmed by the Minister during the plenary session of the Observatory for Women, Science and Innovation (OMCI), where she highlighted that this initiative serves as a framework for harmonizing equality plans for public research and funding bodies, and other committed centers. , with the strategies and actions already in place in this area, such as those contained in the reform of the Science, Technology and Innovation Act and the Comprehensive Equality and Non-Discrimination Act.
Specifically, the plan proposes 28 actions and more than 130 specific initiatives around 3 themes: demonstrating female researchers, innovators, and gender gaps; Transform organizational culture to create equal and inclusive environments; and promoting specific measures to speed up the necessary changes.
The ministry explained in a statement, that the OMCI office will be the body responsible for carrying out annual monitoring of compliance with the Science, Technology and Innovation Law in terms of equality as well as with this plan. This ministerial body is responsible for analyzing the situation of women in research, development and innovation.
It also promotes the implementation of public policies and gender equality measures and promotes the improvement of the position of women in the Spanish science, technology and innovation system.
The new plan is in line with the reform of the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, which stipulates that public servants must have a gender equality plan and evaluate it annually. They should also have protocols in place against sexual harassment and for reasons related to gender or sexual orientation.
Likewise, this reform, according to science, “gives legal certainty for the first time” to gender equality in the R&D and innovation system, ensuring a dual approach, “where a gender perspective is the transverse focus of planning tools for public agents in science, technology and innovation while implementing specific actions.
The R&D Gender Equality Badge is also to be created for centers that certify that they meet the standards of excellence in this field, as well as a commitment to implement measures to eliminate gender bias and integrate the gender dimension in R&D and innovation projects.
In this sense, the rule extends the rights to those making reconciliation by extending their contracts for any care situation, including leave of absence and reduced working hours; It will ensure that these attitudes do not discriminate against them in the selection and evaluation processes, as well as encourage the promotion of affirmative action measures. Finally, the standard recognizes the essential role of scholarly publication and education in promoting social and cultural change and in promoting an inclusive and multicultural vision.
