Data at the core of gender policies: insights from the MINDtheGEPs project
In the work towards gender equality in research, one truth stands out: if we want polices to address gender imbalances, we need data to base it on. This principle is at the core of our Gender Equality Plans (GEPs). By gathering and analysing a wide array of gender data, MINDtheGEPs partners have been able to identify and develop actions to dismantle the barriers that maintain gender imbalances at various stages of research careers.
Without a thorough understanding of the world around us, we will struggle to change it. Therefore, data matters. The lack of readily available data that can inform effective gender equality policies is a significant challenge in bridging the gender gap in research. Through MINDtheGEPs, the Italian National Research Council (CNR) have been able to collect and organise gender data from different information sources including administrative databases, surveys and interviews.
"The first time I approached the central administration at CNR for administrative data on the over 8000 employees, it was a mess. It was so difficult to bring together different databases and analyse them through a gender-segregated lens," says Lucio Pisacane, researcher and leader of the CNR MINDtheGEPs.
However, persistence paid off. Over time, the MINDtheGEPs team at CNR made significant efforts in collecting and organising the data they needed. CNR built a new database that links all the different administrative databases that contain information about staff, across different levels of the organisation. This achievement allowed the team to generate analyses which are now accessible to anyone who wishes to understand the composition and dynamics of the workforce at the National Research Council of Italy. This will also allow analyses of participation and progression of the CNR staff over time.
Data is not just about numbers. It has real-world implications for policy-making. And the road from fragmented data to a rich database at CNR underscores the critical role that comprehensive, gender-segregated data plays in driving meaningful change.
"In the beginning, it was really difficult to get the data. Now, we have very powerful data available for our community. Not just to create policies, but to assess the effectiveness of what we’re doing. The data is there for everyone. It's a big achievement," says Lucio Pisacane.
Collecting diverse types of data of different career stages, organisational levels, and national contexts is essential to capturing the complex factors that (de)construct gender inequalities. This data forms the evidence-based foundation needed to implement and sustain effective gender equality plans, helping research organisations to promote gender equality at both the structural and cultural level. In a world where data drives decisions, the MINDtheGEPs project is proving the value of accessible data. Because if you don’t have data, there will be no policy.
Want to know more? Download our policy brief: No data: No policies! The MINDtheGEPs approach to evidence-based policies for Gender Equality Plans, Solera, C., Balzano, A., Turco, F., Pisacane, L., & Fernow, J. (2023). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10054553
By Fanny Klingvall