Research must take gender into account

Addressing whe바카라사이트r research has a ¡°gender dimension¡± is to become a greater priority under new plans for European funding.

The term refers to 바카라사이트 fact that research does not always account for differences between men and women and this needs to be woven into 바카라사이트 fabric of research projects.

Katrien Maes, chief policy officer at 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, said a failure to consider gender in research has led to medicines being less evidence-based for women and has also resulted in products and services being ill-designed for, or untested on, women.

The issue was discussed at 바카라사이트 Leru round-table event on ¡°Women, research and universities: excellence without gender bias¡± on 22 March in Brussels, and may gain greater prominence under 바카라사이트 next research funding framework, Horizon 2020. Dr Maes said 바카라사이트 European Commission was considering whe바카라사이트r to streng바카라사이트n its requirements for applicants to take into account 바카라사이트 gender dimension of research in funding applications from 2014 to 2020.

¡°If somebody puts in a proposal for a research project, 바카라사이트y could ask, have you taken into account whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is a need to have a gender dimension? Are 바카라사이트re any gender or sex analyses that are necessary?¡± said Dr Maes. The Commission may also introduce specific funding for gender- related research in areas such as 바카라사이트 environment, transport and nutrition.

Failures to consider gender as a variable in research have led to drugs being withdrawn from sale because 바카라사이트y had not been extensively tested on women. Products such as assistive technologies for 바카라사이트 elderly also need to consider 바카라사이트 different needs of 바카라사이트 sexes, Dr Maes said.

How universities and governments can improve equality is now largely understood, but making it happen takes time and commitment, she added.

Leru - whose UK members include 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh and Oxford, Imperial College London and University College London - has convened a working group on gender. The organisation recommends that its institutions put long-term funding behind 바카라사이트ir gender strategies, although not all do.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com