27-29 May 2019: CHANGE Project Meeting in Israel

From May 27th to 29th the CHANGE team met in Kfar Saba, Israel, to exchange experiences on the planning and implementation of the tailored Gender Equality Plans, and to discuss the first results from our mapping of gender in research programmes and funding.

From May 27th to 29th the CHANGE team met in Kfar Saba, Israel. This was the Third meeting of the whole consortium, and it was dedicated to the exchange experiences on the currently ongoing planning and realisation of the tailored Gender Equality Plans in each of the implementing Organisations. We exchanged about success stories in order to inspire each other, and we also discussed challenges and resistance, and how to possibly address them, e.g. by using or creating windows of opportunity. A particular pleasure was that the Transfer Agents of the Beit Berl College were able to temporarily join the meeting and actively engage in some of our work sessions.

Furthermore, first results from our mapping of gender in research programmes and funding were presented, and compared among countries.

Unique highlights of the meeting were a guest lecture given by Dr. Rachel Zorman, the Executive Director of the Henrietta Szold Institute, and the meeting with Prof. Bat-Sheva Kerem, the Scientific Director of the National Center for Genomic Technology in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Zorman provided interesting insights into the national mentoring programme for gifted students by particularly focussing on gender aspects. Prof. Kerem presented the current situation of women in science and research in Israel, which is, likewise the situation in most European countries, characterised by gender inequality from the post-doc level on. Of particular interest for the CHANGE team was to learn about a special support programme for women in research, which was established at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and to discuss Prof. Kerem's experiences measures as President Advisor for the Promotion of Women in Science with the promotion and implementation or various measures supporting female scientists.

Our meeting again confirmed the importance of exchanging experiences and knowledge within and beyond the project consortium as an important source for inspiration and mutual learning.