Public Administration: ENEA adopts Gender Equality Plan

ENEA has approved the Gender Equality Plan (GEP), set by the European Union's 2020-2025 Gender Equality Strategy as an eligibility criterion for public institutions to access funding under the new EU Horizon Europe research program.

The GEP's objective is to boost female participation in research and ecological transition activities, taking into account gender-based violence.

"Our plan pays particular attention to gender representation in those research activities that obtain funding, in addition to the well-known issues underlying the so-called gender gap, such as finding obstacles in obtaining leadership roles and progressing in the workplace and reconciling work and family life”, pointed out Elena De Luca, ENEA researcher and coordinator of the working group that drew up the GEP. "Moreover, - she said - some actions are aimed at maximizing the impact of research on territories and local communities to encourage women’s participation in the ecological transition process".

In particular, the Plan identifies five thematic areas: leadership and decision-making; recruitment and career progression; organizational well-being; gender violence and promotion of awareness of equal opportunities issues; participation in research projects, task forces, working groups and gender mainstreaming in research activities. For each thematic area, objectives, actions, tools, targets, implementation times and the relevant contact persons within the Agency were defined.

"The ENEA GEP is a useful tool for tackling discrimination and promote equal opportunities, valorising the skills identified at ENEA and, more generally, in the Italian research system", De Luca said.

The success of the initiative, which covers a four-year period from 2021 to 2024, will be measured on the basis of the number and and economic value of the projects eligible for funding.

For more information please contact:

https://www.enea.it/it/enea/Riferimenti-normativi/piano-per-la-parita-di-genere

Elena De Luca, ENEA – Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources, elena.deluca@enea.it