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MODULE 5 - Unit 6

WORK LIFE BALANCE

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These Policies in Action: Do They Work?

RomaniaRomania doesn’t have a specific framework addressing gender equality: Article 41 of the Romanian Constitution guarantees equal pay for equal work to women and men, while Article 223 of the Penal Code defines sexual harassment at the workplace as a criminal offence. The main reference for gender equality legal provisions concerning higher education and research is Law 202/2002 on Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment of Women and Men. The Law states that the measures to eliminate sex-based discrimination apply in the private and public sector, in fields which include labour, education, decision-making, etc. All forms of discrimination are legally sanctioned. Relevant examples of practices:

  • The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding has developed a GEP (Gender Equality Plan) which aims to implement structural change and build gender equality expertise in organisations.
  • Promoting women’s engagement in high-tech sectors; the organisation “Smart Everything Everywhere” has a project meant to promote digital careers for girls and women, increase digital literacy and start a dialogue about the gender gap in this sector
  • It’s recommended to improve universities’ code of Ethics on this topic

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That said, recently a new law passed (it still needs to be signed off by the country’s president) that severely restricts what Romanian children can be taught about gender equality at school and what subjects university professors can discuss with their students. The law explicitly mentions “gender ideology”, a vague term for a variety of topics that would no longer be allowed to be discussed in any educational institution. Some more statistics: women on maternity leave are paid 85% of their usual salary, only 18.5% seats in parliament were held by women as of February 2021; women aged 10+ spend 17.5% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work (9.4% for men), women of reproductive age often face obstacles when it comes to their reproductive health and rights.

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SpainIn Spain the situation is better; there’s a comprehensive legal framework. The Organic Law for Effective Equality between Women and Men (3/2007) introduced gender equality as a basic principle for public action, applicable to universities and research centres. The Law made it compulsory for institutions and companies with more than 50 employees to adopt and implement gender equality plans. As recently as 2019 and 2020 the government has approved three decrees meant to extend the obligation to approve equality plans to all companies and institutions with more than 50 employees (previously >250 employees). They reinforce the rights of equal salary for equal work and work-life balance, and establish equal (non-transferable) childbirth leave for both parents.

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Relevant examples of practices:

  • In 2002, the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) Governing Board approved the Women and Science Committee. The Committee advises the presidency of the CSIC on issues related to recruitment and career promotion of women researchers, identifies problems and analyses causes hindering women’s access and career progression
  • The Universidad Politècnica de Catalunya has identified a glass ceiling in 2016, with women accounting for only 8.6 % of full professors. UPC approved an affirmative measure to correct the inequalities and structural obstacles that hinder the equal development of women’s academic careers. The Full Professor Programme applies a gender coefficient, which is a correction coefficient in the final scores of women candidates. This measure immediately increased the numbers of women promoted to full professor, with 12.9 % of women in this category in 2021. The measure also promotes a greater presence of women in decision-making positions by having more women in the higher categories. Finally, it has an important impact on organisational culture, including acceptance of transformative and structural measures to promote gender equality.
  • Protocol against gender-based violence: The Basque Country University (UPV/EHU) undertook a one-year participatory process to design a protocol against gender-based violence that responds to the needs and reality of the university community. In June 2018, the protocol was approved, with the goal of promoting a safe environment for all in the university community.
In Spain, 91.7% of legal frameworks that promote, enforce and monitor gender equality under the SDG indicator, with a focus on violence against women, are in place. However, work still needs to be done in Spain to achieve gender equality: for example women and girls aged 20+ spend 19% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 8.6% spent by men.

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PortugalPortugal has several statutory provisions aimed at promoting gender equality but, as of September 2021, it had not adopted any corresponding laws. It has prioritized intervention in gender equality issues through principles of equality and non-discrimination, as closing the gender gap is one of the fundamental tasks of the government.The Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) is the official body responsible for implementing public policies to promote gender equality. They’ve established cooperation protocols with some universities to integrate gender equality in research. Relevant examples of practices:

  • monitoring progress towards gender equality: the University of Beira Interior (UBI) was the first university to monitor its own progress towards gender equality. After 2016 this monitoring process was extended to other universities.
  • Reconciliation of professional activity and personal/family life: IST (part of the University of Lisbon) launched a measure to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life. It aims to facilitate women and men to take parental leave.
  • Gender balance in leadership and decision-making
Some statistics: as of February 2021, 40% of seats in parliament were held by women and women and girls aged 15+ spend 17.8% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 10.2% spent by men.

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ItalyItaly has a National Code of Equal Opportunities between Men and Women (established in 2006) which obliges public administrations to adopt a Positive Action Plan meant to remove obstacles to equal opportunities between men and women on the workplace. Moreover, there’s a law on the General Reform of University Education that calls for gender balance on the board of trustees of research institutions but its respect is limited to a general declaration of intent. It does also extend maternity leave (5 months, 80% of salary) to post-doctoral researchers. Research institutions can also decide to provided independent additional benefits to women. As of 2021, like in Spain, companies with more that 50 workers will have to approve equality plans and prove they’re implementing policies to reduce the gender gap.

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Relevant examples of practices:

  • Gender budget at the CNR: The CNR is the largest public research organisation, with more than 9,000 employees. The report showed that the general composition of CNR staff is equally distributed, but a gap becomes evident in the subsequent career levels: 38 % of senior researchers and 26 % of research directors are women. That gap is even wider at top management level, where women make up only 22 %.
  • Transformative mentoring scheme at University of Naples Federico II: Recent studies have confirmed a glass ceiling in Italian academia, or, rather, segregation processes that negatively affect women’s access to academic and scientific careers. The University of Naples Federico II Gender Observatory on University and Research developed a mentoring scheme to combat the practices and mechanisms that foster gender inequalities in academia
  • On-site childcare at Polytechnic University of Milan: In 2015, a structured childcare service was installed at Polytechnic of Milan, one of the largest technical universities in Northern Italy. During the summer and Easter school holidays, on-site childcare is available for employees’ children aged four (first year of kindergarten) to 13 years (last year of junior high school) at the two Milan campuses.
Some statistics as reported by the UN Women Count: 35,7% of parliament seats are held by women. Also, women and girls aged 15+ spend 20.4% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 8.4% spent by men.

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