Gender equality is crucial for the development of knowledge and the progress of society. Promoting gender equality is important to ensure that our work environment is inclusive and diverse and reflects the needs and experiences of all members of society. At INEA we are committed to creating a work environment that is inclusive, equal and supportive of all people.

As described in the General Annexes of the Horizon Europe 2021-2022 work program, the existence of a gender equality plan that meets a set of mandatory requirements has become an eligibility criterion for all public bodies, higher education institutions and research organizations from Member States and Associated Countries wishing to participate in Horizon Europe, for calls with deadlines starting in 2022.

In the context of the development of INEA’s working environment, which must reflect the needs and experiences of all members, we developed the “Gender Equality Plan” (GEP). The latter includes a comprehensive review of our policies and practices to identify areas where we can improve gender equality. Specific goals and initiatives within our organization focus on the following priority areas:

(a) gender equality in leadership and decision-making,
(b) gender equality in hiring and career advancement,
(c) organizational culture and work-life balance,
(d) gender bias and stereotypes,
(e) sexual harassment, and
(f) gender-sensitive data collection, access, and processing.

The document also defines processes, responsibilities and human resources needed to improve gender equality at INEA.

Our goal is to create a workplace that is inclusive and supportive of all people, regardless of gender identity. To achieve this, we will conduct a regular and thorough analysis of our current policies and practices to identify any areas where gender bias or inequality may exist. This will include everything from reviewing our hiring, promotion and performance evaluation processes to our training and development programs. We will also consult regularly with our employees to learn from them how we can create a more gender-equal workplace. To this end, we will conduct focus groups and surveys to understand their experiences and perspectives.

The purpose of our GEP is to engage employees in a participatory consultative process to define our company’s priorities and actions to eliminate gender inequalities and promote diversity, equal opportunity and an open society. Consequently, the INEA GEP is a living document that we regularly review and update to ensure that we are making progress toward our goals.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at gep@inea.si for any questions regarding this topic.