Women in Science in Europe

Women are still widely underrepresented in science decision-making and policy definition processes, and far too little to pursue an academic career. At the EU-25 level, women total only 15% of academic staff in Grade A (full professorship) in 2006. The gender dimension still plays an unjustifiable role in determining job opportunities and funding repartition in research and academia.
To increase the number of women in science and research and strengthen their position in science policy and decision making positions, the EU's Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development supports actions to this end.

The eument-net Initiative

Since the early 90’s, excellent local or regional mentoring programmes have been implemented in various European countries. These programmes have developed important knowledge and experience with mentoring as a means to promote women in higher education and research. However, until now, these local structures are not connected on a European level. Furthermore, in many countries, and in particular in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkan states, women don’t have access to such offers yet.
The eument-net project brings together for the first time successful institutional and regional Mentoring Programmes for women scientists in academia, and fosters the knowledge transfer and the creation of a European network of such mentoring programmes. The mentoring programmes involved in the project have been functioning for 5 to 8 years, fully demonstrating their efficiency and performance in tackling the loss of women scientists at crucial stages of the academic career between the PhD/post-doctorate and the tenured to tenured positions of responsibility and influence in the academic field. They are effective in providing established women academics the possibility to transmit their experience and to function fully as “role models”, and in developing competence for the support of future generations of women.

The eument-net project is designed to be effective on a European and a local level, by

• fostering the knowledge transfer on mentoring as a measure to enhance the advancement of women in academia and research;
• establishing structures of cooperation, while respecting and taking advantage of each programmes specificity;
• setting up an electronic platform, that provides information about mentoring programmes in the wider Europe;
• fostering the quality and efficiency of existing Mentoring programmes through exchange of experience, best practice and access to the European network;
• transferring knowledge for new mentoring programmes on institutional and regional levels.
  For the women academics and researchers in their early careers and in established positions, eument-net provides
• access to information on mentoring programmes in Europe and on mentoring as a tool to foster their career and build up international networks;
• a platform to promote the function of established women academics and researchers as role model on a European level.

Project activities

During its project phase from January 2007 to September 2008, the consortium is going to implement a wide range of activities :

Empirical study with two focus group sessions

In May 2007 were carried out two focus group sessions with Bulgarian high potential junior women scientists in order to obtain feedback about their personal needs and kind of support needed for their career planning and development. The first focus group session took place on 9th May 2007 with participation of female PhD students. The second focus group session took place on 30th May 2007 with participation of female early career academics and researchers. The findings of these two focus group sessions were discussed in details during the Sofia workshop held at the beginning of December 2007 as well as during the eument-net dissemination event – the Regional eument-net conference, 16th May 2008, Sofia, Bulgaria.
The two focus group sessions were carried out by the Bulgarian eument –net ‘focus group session team’: Dr. Nikolina Sretenova, Dr. Nikolay Obreshkov, Dr. Doroteia Angelova and Dr. Christina Ambareva, Moderator: Bogdana Dermendjieva.

Creation of a European Network

Two surveys are conducted, one among existing mentoring programmes in Europe, and among stakeholders in promotion women in science in countries without mentoring programmes. The results  helped to focus the aims of the network, and to facilitate connection and cooperation between mentoring programs. A pilot cooperation scheme was set up by the consortium in 2008.

Publication of a Guideline Manual

The guideline manual is a major tool for transfer of knowledge and experience with mentoring as a measure to promote women in academy and research. It appears as glossy publication in July 2008. To enhance its impact in Eastern European countries, it will be translated into Bulgarian.

Conferences and dissemination of results

The eument-net project and the results of the survey were presented at the 5th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education (GEHE), in Berlin (August 28-31, 2007). This was an important moment for the eument-net consortium to debate the results of the survey with experts on mentoring and stakeholders in the promotion of women in science in Europe.
In Mai 2008, two regional conferences in Sofia (Bulgaria) and Bern (Switzerland) allowed an in depth presentation of the eument-net platform and of the eument-net manual. The regional conferences are meant to strengthen the discussion between mentoring programmes, science policy makers and women academics and researchers. The conference in Sofia was specially designed to prepare the ground for the implementation of a mentoring programme in Bulgaria.

Electronic platform - www.eument-net.eu

The eument-net electronic Platform is the virtual home for the European Network of Mentoring Programmes for Women Scientists. The platform comprises a database of mentoring programmes for women academics and researchers, and an electronic forum for member programmes. It is also a source for information on mentoring in academy and research.

Linking of the EUMENT-NET project with projects and initiatives

As a network, eument-net established links with other projects and initiatives in Europe pursuing similar or related aims, such as the European Platform for Women Scientists (EPWS), the Central European Centre for Women and Youth in Science, ERA-Link, etc.