Stellamarina Donato & Alexandra Yingst. Report: WEMov’s Gender Equality Strategy and the COST Gender Equality Plan (GEP).
Gender equality has become a critical focus in research and innovation, especially within European networks like COST. In 2024, the COST Gender Equality Plan (GEP) was released, aiming to foster an inclusive culture in COST Actions by ensuring equal opportunities across all genders in leadership, participation, and research content. The GEP highlights that diversity leads to more innovative research outcomes and stresses the need to address gender imbalances in fields traditionally dominated by one gender (COST Gender Equality Plan, 2024). COST Action CA19112 Women on the Move (WEMov) aligns with these gender equality goals. Focused on women’s migration, WEMov is committed to integrating gender equality into both its research processes and organizational structures. The project emphasizes that gender equality is not only an ethical necessity but also enhances the quality of research by incorporating diverse perspectives. This report presents the findings of a survey conducted among WEMov members in September 2024, coinciding with the conclusion of the WEMov COST Action. The survey aimed to evaluate its gender equality strategy, with a particular focus on leadership roles, research participation, and the challenges of attracting male researchers.