Jul 04, 2022
The GAP Junior Research Group presents their research, “Gender Inequality in ESF Projects at Universities and in Research”
“Gender Inequality in ESF Projects at Universities and in Research” (GAP) Junior Research Group
Women are still disproportionately underrepresented in the German research landscape. Furthermore, the higher up in the academic ranks one looks, the more exaggerated this gender gap becomes.
This imbalance is reflected in the distribution of financing from the European Social Fund (ESF) at universities in Saxony. During the last ESF funding period (2014–2020), the target of a balanced gender parity was dramatically missed, with about two-thirds of funding going to men compared to women receiving just one-third.
For this reason, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitz University of Technology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences and Hochschule Zittau-Görlitz appointed a junior research group in October 2020 tasked with conducting interdisciplinary research looking into the causes of gender disparity in the higher education system.
The range of research conducted was extensive. Alongside an organizational analysis on how funding is distributed and a document analysis on how job descriptions and ESF guidelines are formulated, the junior research group explored which factors influence an academic career, what role informal networks play in filling positions, what influence formulations in job advertisements have on an applicant’s intention to apply, as well as to what extent research and teaching associates are burdened by care work, to list some examples.
Initial research results from the early-career researchers Diana Heinbucher and Aline Fuß show that doctoral candidates are confronted with many hurdles during their doctoral studies. Examples of these hurdles include unpaid overtime, a double strain due to nursing and childcare responsibilities, temporary employment contracts, the discrepancy between the duration of a doctoral program and funding periods, and employment in part-time positions resulting in limited financial resources. While many men pursue a career in research despite these risk factors, many women come to the conclusion that the demands a career in research places on them are not reconcilable with their personal plans or family life. This problem is exacerbated by superiors with an outdated understanding of gender roles and the resulting expectations, as well as by the phenomenon that women often assess their competencies as being less than they actually are. Therefore, the environment for early-career researchers perusing a career in the academic system contributes to gender imbalances in research.
Based on these and many other findings, the junior research group made recommendations for how to address the identified causes within the universities or programs. The Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism received these recommendations for action at the end of June. Furthermore, these recommendations will be presented to universities in the form of workshops before the end of 2022. This will enable the recommendations to be communicated to university staff via feedback loops and implemented in the university system in turn.
You can find more information on the Junior Research Group on their website: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/ew/forschung/nachwuchsforschungsgruppe-gap