The following recommendations provide a roadmap to foster systemic change and advance gender equality in science in Scientific Unions, and promote it in their scientific communities. They rely on the Gender Gap in Science (GGS) Project findings.
1. Promote Gender Balance in Leadership and Governance
- Ensure gender balance across all levels of your organization, including leadership positions, committees, and decision-making bodies.
- Adopt a public gender equality statement and develop a comprehensive gender equality strategy with measurable objectives.
2. Increase the Visibility and Participation of Women
- Actively promote the visibility of women scientists at all scientific events, especially as keynote speakers, panelists, and session chairs.
- Encourage sessions on women in science, diversity, equality, and inclusion in union-sponsored conferences.
- Establish and apply guidelines to address unconscious bias in all organizational processes, including selection, nominations, and peer review.
- Set and monitor gender balance standards for funded events, including:
- Diverse speaker and panel line-ups
- Equitable representation on scientific and local organizing committees
- Transparent reporting mechanisms for participants to raise concerns about inclusion or discrimination
3. Establish Safe, Respectful Environments
- Implement and publicize clear codes of conduct for all events and activities.
- Define, communicate, and enforce best practices to prevent, report, and address sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination in all sponsored or affiliated meetings.
4. Support Scientists with Family Responsibilities
- Make conferences and events more accessible to participants with children by:
- Including provisions for childcare in conference budgets
- Offering family-friendly facilities and support
- Encouraging inclusive scheduling practices
- Ensuring that negotiated rooms at hotels include some that are available for families
5. Ensure Equality in Scientific Recognition
- Improve diversity in the nomination and selection processes for scientific awards.
- Actively encourage the nomination of women and other underrepresented groups.
- Extend eligibility age-limits by 18 months per child for candidates who have had caregiving responsibilities.
6. Promote Equality in Publishing
- Increase the representation of women on editorial boards and decision-making roles in publishing.
- Collect and publish data on the gender breakdown of authorship and editorial decisions.
- Implement double-blind peer review processes and promote high standards for constructive, respectful feedback on submissions.
7. Institutionalize Gender Equality Efforts
- Create a dedicated gender equality or women in science committee, supported by a defined budget.
- Organize dedicated events to foster networking, mentorship, and collaboration among women scientists.
- Develop and maintain a platform or website featuring;
- :Success stories of women scientists
- Gender-related news, funding opportunities, and events
- Career development resources, such as grant writing training and leadership workshops
- Promotion of works authored by women, including books, biographies, and media
8. Foster Cultural Change and Shared Learning
- Work collectively with other unions and partners to shift the culture and norms that sustain gender disparities in science.
- Share toolkits, policies, and best practices to build capacity across the global scientific community.
- Launch and support awareness campaigns on the societal and scientific benefits of gender equality.
9. Acknowledge Career Disruptions and Advocate for Fair Evaluation
- Promote formal recognition of child-bearing and care-related career interruptions, recommending a standard 18-month extension per child for evaluation in hiring, promotion, and funding decisions.
- Encourage institutions to account for nonlinear or discontinuous career paths, and develop responsive policies that promote fairness in hiring, tenure, and salary structures.
10. Advance Inclusive Outreach and Representation
- Integrate gender equality into all outreach and educational initiatives.
- Ensure that role models presented reflect a diverse range of identities, disciplines, and career trajectories, including those outside traditional academic pathways.
These recommendations aim to build an inclusive scientific culture where all individuals—regardless of gender—can thrive, contribute, and lead. Scientific Unions have a critical role to play in driving this transformation across disciplines and borders.
Version in .pdf available here.
SCGES Recommendations for Science Local Institutions available here.
.SCGES Recommendations for Instructors and Parents available here.