Institutional Drive for More Equitable Research

This morning marked the establishment of the Expert Group for the promotion of the Gender Equality Strategy in Science (EIGEC), a key initiative for the implementation of the Catalan Science Act. Its aim is to embed gender equality as a structural practice within the Catalan research system.

The inaugural session, held at the Ministry of Research and Universities, featured the participation of Minister Núria Montserrat and Minister for Equality and Feminisms Eva Menor, demonstrating the cross-cutting political commitment underpinning this project.

The session included an opening lecture on mainstreaming the gender perspective within the European Research and Innovation Area, delivered by Katerina Svickova, Head of the Gender Unit at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and Rachel Louise Palmén, coordinator of the INSPIRE research group and senior researcher at IN3-UOC.

A Diverse and Committed Group

The expert group, attached to the Interdepartmental Commission for Research and Innovation (CIRI), comprises 14 members with established careers in research and gender equality. Among them are Laia Pellejà, Director of the CERCA Institution, and Núria Alcaraz, officer of the Gender and Language Unit at the same institution. Both bring expert and strategic insight from the CERCA system, reinforcing research centres’ commitment to the feminist transformation of knowledge.

Functions and Challenges of the Group

The group’s primary mission is to promote comprehensive engagement with intersectional gender equality among all actors in the research system. Its key functions include assessing EIGEC indicators, advising on equality policies, proposing actions for dissemination and monitoring, and validating the final evaluation report.