Working towards gender equality is an essential part of European research and innovation (R&I) policy. Since 2003, the European Commission’s triennial She Figures have monitored new developments related to careers, decision‑making and—most recently—how the gender dimension is considered in research and innovation outputs.

She Figures 2015, the fifth edition of the She Figures, investigates the level of progress made towards gender equality in R&I in Europe. It is the main source of pan‑European, comparable statistics on the representation of women and men amongst PhD graduates, researchers and academic decision‑makers. The data also shed light on differences in the experiences of women and men working in research—such as relative pay, working conditions and success in obtaining research funds. She Figures 2015 also presents for the first time the situation of women and men in scientific publication and inventorships, as well as the inclusion of the gender dimension in scientific articles. Despite progress, She Figures 2015 reveals that a range of gender differences and inequalities persist in European R&I.

Science-Metrix was the lead contractor for the calculation of indicators, the development of new indicators, and the drafting of the publication and associated methodological handbook for the She Figures 2015, working in close collaboration with ICF International, KU Leuven, Beyond 20/20, tKorps bvba and Imprimerie Centrale. The overall impetus and coordination of the She Figures 2015 came from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Extensive contributions were made by the Helsinki Group on Gender in Research and Innovation and their Statistical Correspondents, as well as representatives from Eurostat, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).

See the report here.

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