Women in SEN3APP

Consideration of gender aspects

It is a well-known fact that the space research community and Earth Observation industry are very male dominated with respect to number of members in the community.

This deficiency is acknowledged by the Coordinator and entire project team. In the SEN3APP project, the gender aspects are addressed by adhering to an equal opportunity policy in recruiting, hiring and contracting related to this project.

All partner institutions in SEN3APP are aware of the imbalance in women's participation in almost all research areas. It is our priority to encourage talented young women to pursue their scientific careers. All partners are following the employment policies of their institution, which consequently reflect national gender action plans, and most possess equal opportunities programmes, not just for gender.

The valuation of project and work package results are not in any way dependable on the gender of persons taking part to work concerned. The equality of genders is monitored and managed throughout the project.

Public outreach activities and materials created are also strive for an as balanced approach as possible with respect to gender equality. Also, in preparation of project documentation and public outreach material, all the material is generated in gender-sensitive way and the use gender-impartial language is constantly monitored.

The SEN3APP gender action plan comprises a number of activities, including

• Promoting an equal participation of men and women in the project, particularly in the more senior positions
• Actions related to reconciling work and private life, and
• Awareness raising.

All partners have given their commitment on women encouragement in employing new staff or students for the project. Gender statistics of this project are still not very favourable for women: from the key personnel, %25. However, the status of women in the project is monitored continuously and adjusted where possible. This includes both full-time and part-time positions.

Partners are asked to verify that their employment contracts allow for parental leave and part-time working/job sharing for women with young children.

The website includes a page in the public domain outlining the role of women in the project ("Women in SEN3APP"). It also includes profiles of all the women scientists working in the project and links to relevant websites.

A special session during one of the annual progress meetings will be organized to discuss how gender balance best can be addressed. Representatives of women scientists' associations will be invited to lecture at this session.