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Gender and innovation

Summary

Website providing resources to all who, in the context of research funding, find themselves confronted with the question: How do you treat the gender-aspect in your Research?

Target groups

scientific staff / artistic-scientific staff /

Implementing organization

Vienna University of Technology - Gender Competence Department /

Contact

Bettina Enzenhofer; bettina.enzenhofer@tuwien.ac.at

Implemented/introduced

Implemented at the Vienna University of Technology since 2014

Relation to gender equality targets

Biases based on biological gender and social gender can harm societies and produce high costs, as shown by thirty years of research. It is crucial to not only identify these biases but to also understand the effects they have on science and technology. However, analysis cannot stop there: prospectively analyzing biological and social gender may function as additional resource, sparking the creation of new knowledge and novel technologies. From the very beginning, these analyses can act as “controls” (or as filters for biases) thereby producing excellence in research, measures and procedures, as well as in practicing science, health + medicine, and engineering.

The objective(s) of the tool

Providing practical methods of analyzing biological as well as social gender to scientists and engineers is the goal of project Gendered Innovations. In that way a culture of responsibly approaching gender in science and engineering is developed and stimulated, globally improving the quality of life of women and men.

 

Description of the tool

The website www.geschlecht-und-innovation.at offers detailed information and an extensive range of case examples connected to gender and innovation; it is a translation of large portions of the Gendered Innovations Website – a project initiated at Stanford University in 2009.

The German-language website consists of six main interactive portals:

  1. Methods for analyzing biological (sex) and social gender within the context of research and engineering.
  2. Case studies illustrating how analyzing biological and social gender can lead to innovation.
  3. Explanations of key concepts used throughout the website.
  4. Guidelines/Manuals for researchers, engineers and analysts.
  5. Recommended measures and actions, as well as links to national and international guidelines in support of gender-conscious innovation.
  6. Institutional changes in a summary of current literature on 1) Increasing the numbers of women in science, technology, medicine and environmental work, 2) eliminating subtle gender bias in research institutions and 3) solutions and best practices

Attachments

Further information (in German only)