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Spanish team suggests Covid-19 fixes for women researchers

   

Science ministry unit presents recommendations for funders and institutions

A unit of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation dedicated to women in science has made recommendations for limiting negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on female researchers.

In a report published on 16 June, the unit warned that the lockdown could be having a “worrying effect” on women as studies have found that women have been forced to spend more time on domestic activities and less on their work relative to men.

To counter such effects, the report authors recommended that funders at European, national and regional levels should factor the greater impact of the pandemic on women into the design and requirements of their funding calls in future months and years.

In addition, research-performing institutions should take the opportunity to ensure their career evaluation and support policies promote gender equality, according to the authors.

They said the ministry is preparing a survey to detect unequal impacts of the pandemic on women, and a badge of equality to award to more equitable research-performing institutions.

The authors also supported training for predoctoral staff “so that the gender dimension is incorporated into all research projects systematically and with the quality it requires”.