Horizon Europe GENDERACTIONplus project

The European Innovation Act is a pivotal opportunity to strengthen Europes innovation ecosystem by making it more inclusive. Gender equality and innovation excellence go hand in hand: Europe cannot reach its innovation goals if women and other underrepresented groups are left out. Integrating gender equality across the Act will promote fairness while enhancing creativity, market relevance, and competitiveness.

High-quality, inclusive research and innovation systems are essential to Europes future: our social cohesion, our response to major challenges and our long-term competitiveness. The Action Plan for Women in Research, Innovation and Start-ups is therefore a critical opportunity to address the structural and systemic barriers that continue to limit womens full participation across research careers, innovation…

The preparation of the new EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment in EU External Action (GAP IV) should explicitly recognise the role of international cooperation in research, innovation and higher education as an important area for advancing gender equality.

Research and innovation (R&I) must continue to be recognised as a critical area for gender equality, intersectionality, and gender mainstreaming. Despite progress, gender and intersectional inequalities remain widespread in European R&I, as documented in She Figures. At the same time, R&I is increasingly positioned as a key driver of competitiveness in the EU single market.