EUROPA - Research - Science and Society in Europe: Science and society - Women and science - Helsinki Group on women and science EUROPA > European Commission > Research > Science & Society > Women and Contact | Search on Science & Society science > Helsinki Group on women & science Women and science - National reports on the situation of women in science in Europe National Reports from EU Member States ● Belgium: Flanders - PDF; French-speaking Community - PDF ● Denmark: PDF ● Germany: PDF ● Spain: PDF ● Greece: EN - PDF; EL - PDF ● France: PDF ● Ireland: PDF ● Italy: PDF ● Luxembourg: PDF ● The Netherlands: PDF ● Austria: PDF ● Portugal: PDF ● Finland: PDF ● Sweden: PDF ● United Kindgom: PDF National Reports from the countries associated to the 5th Framework Programme ● Bulgaria: PDF ● Cyprus: PDF ● Czech Republic: PDF ● Estonia: PDF ● Hungary: PDF ● Iceland: PDF ● Israel: PDF ● Latvia: PDF ● Lithuania: PDF ● Malta: PDF ● Norway: PDF ● Poland: PDF ● Romania: No report available. ● Slovakia: PDF ● Slovenia: PDF Latest updates | Highlights | Documents | Links | Contacts TOP http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/women-science/helsinki03_en.html3/3/2005 12:15:22 PM WOMEN AND SCIENCE: Review of the situation in Flanders (Belgium) National situation / background Policy framework As Belgium is a federal state, the authority over equal opportunities matters is distributed between the federal state and the federated communities (Flemish, French and German- speaking). On a regular base there is a national consultation between the federal minister for equal opportunities and the corresponding ministers of the different communities. The situation of women in science in the Flemish part of Belgium needs to be situated within the broader context of a developing equal opportunities policy. The following legislative documents are set up in implementation of an equal opportunities policy aimed at supporting and improving the position of women. - The Decree of the Flemish Parliament of May 13, 1997 concerning the follow up of the Beijing World Conference Resolutions (September 1995) states that the Flemish government has to report each year to the Flemish Parliament on the progress of the status of women in Flanders. - The Decree of the Flemish Parliament of July 15, 1997 (“Decreet houdende de invoering van een meer evenwichtige vertegenwoordiging van mannen en vrouwen in adviesorganen”) concerns all officially established advisory bodies in Flanders, who advise the government or individual ministers. The decree states that maximum two thirds of the members of such a body may belong to the same sex. A transitory period until December 31, 2001 enables non-complying bodies to redress their composition. After that date, advice from non-complying bodies will not be legally valid. The decree also includes an obligatory annual status report to the Flemish Parliament. - The Decree of the Flemish Parliament of May 18, 1999 (“Decreet houdende een meer evenwichtige vertegenwoordiging van mannen en vrouwen in de beheers- en bestuursorganen van de instellingen, ondernemingen, vennootschappen of verenigingen van de Vlaamse overheid”), complements the above mentioned legislation and enlarges its scope to the board of directors of Flemish Public Institutes (“Vlaamse Openbare Instellingen”). The transition period expires on January 1, 2002. In the field of science and technology, the decrees of July 1997 and May 1999 concern, amongst others: - The Flemish Research Policy Council (“Vlaamse Raad voor Wetenschapsbeleid”), which is the highest advisory body on science and technology. - The Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts (“Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten”). - The Institute for the Promotion of Innovation in Industry (IWT), which acts as the main financing body for industrial research. The Flemish minister for Equal Opportunities is authorised to pursue a horizontal equal opportunities policy (crosswise the different policy domains) and a vertical equal opportunities policy (with own priorities and means). The cell ‘equal opportunities’ within the Flemish Ministry is the supporting administrative cell of the minister for Equal Opportunities. 1 In the policy document of the minister (2000-2004) special attention goes to an equal opportunities policy for women with emphasis on “work and care” and “women and decision making”. In 2000 44 % (1,26 Mio Euro) of the total budget for equal opportunities policy was spent on specific actions for women. Since the academic year 1994-1995 an inter-university and interdisciplinary postgraduate programme on gender studies was set up. At most Flemish universities research centres on gender studies are established. - University of Antwerp (UIA): organises a course on “Women studies” since 1987-1988. - University of Brussels (VUB): has a centre for women studies since 1988. - University of Gent (RUG): centre established in 1992. - University of Leuven (KULeuven): research centre established in 1981. - University of Diepenbeek (LUC): support unit “Women’s studies”. It should be noted that most of the work carried out in these centres is largely of a voluntary nature, i.e. performed by professors on top of their regular duties in higher education and research. Measures adopted to promote the role of women in science (W&S) For years, individual women researchers in universities have been pointing out the problems with the under-representation of women in the higher grades of the scientific enterprise and the associated loss of talent for society. This gradual process of raising awareness has entered a new, more visible, phase with the publication of the ETAN report and the associated activities of the European Commission and its W&S unit. At the level of the Flemish government and administration, a number of practical steps have been taken (in random order): - The setting up of a Flemish steering group for W&S issues, which liaises with the Flemish representative in the Helsinki group. The first meeting of this group took place on April 6, 2000. Members come from the universities, the main funding agencies for fundamental and industrial research, the public research institutes, the Royal Academy, the Science and Innovation administration, the Higher education administration and the Royal Academy. - The setting up of a website on W&S issues (http://www.innovatie.vlaanderen.be/gender). This website also contains the list of members of the Flemish steering group. - On September 28, 2000, the Flemish Research Policy Council published an advice (in Dutch) to the Minister of Education on equal opportunities for men and women at the Flemish universities (“VRWB-Advies 69”). The advice was drawn up on the basis of two meetings of an ad hoc expert group (meetings on September 12 and 19, 2000), in which most members of the Flemish steering group participated (including the Flemish representative in the Helsinki group). Among the main recommendations of the report we can mention: - The need to establish an equal opportunities policy (EOP) at each university. - The initiative to establish an EOP must come from the university itself, since it falls within the scope of the university’s autonomy, but the government may act as a stimulating agent by financially rewarding universities with an excellent track record. - The first implementation of an EOP could be the recruitment of an EOP officer within each university, following the example set by the Ministry of the Flemish Community (http://www.gelijkekansen.vlaanderen.be). 2 - Although they are not concerned directly by the relevant decrees, universities should go for a more equal representation of both sexes in their official decision-making bodies. - Women must be stimulated to submit applications for senior academic staff positions. - Quality should never be sacrificed for gender considerations. - Measures already taken by the FWO-Vlaanderen (Fund for Scientific Research Flanders), e.g. more flexibility in age limits for applications, special provisions for maternity leave etc. should be generalised. - The career planning of individual (female) researchers must be followed closely and must be stimulated whenever necessary. - Criteria for scientific applications must be analysed on their gender neutrality. - Accompanying measures are necessary to stimulate mobility (e.g. financial overhead for families). - Publications must be subject to a healthy balance between quantitative and qualitative requirements (e.g. submission of the best 5 publications instead of all publications). - The Flemish Inter-university Council (“Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad”) should establish a permanent forum for equal opportunities, taking into account other initiatives at the Flemish level. - The existing research potential in the field of gender studies at Flemish universities should be maximised. - The Flemish Research Policy Council has a role to play in the follow-up of the W&S issue. - On October 18, 2000 an Inter-university Workgroup on Equal Opportunities was established within the Flemish Inter-university Council as was formulated in the advice of September 2000 of the Flemish Research Policy Council. This workgroup will formulate recommendations on actions and measures to promote equal opportunities for men and women at the Flemish universities. - An analysis of the W&S issue at Flemish universities was carried out by Dr. Kristien Vercoutere, staff member at the Flemish Research Policy Council. The report (in Dutch) is entitled