This guide provides an overview of gender equality plan requirements under the Horizon Europe programme.
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What is a gender equality plan?
Gender equality is a fundamental value of the European Union and is essential to the quality and relevance of Horizon Europe's research and innovation (R&I) activities.
A Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is a commitment on the part of funding recipients to uphold gender equality and address imbalances through specific actions, targets, and measures. It ensures that organizations associated with Horizon Europe actively promote gender equality in their R&I activities.
How do Canadian GEPs compare with Horizon Europe's GEP eligibility criterion?
Like the European Union, the Government of Canada supports GEP initiatives that reflect evidence-based/results-driven Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Canadian EDI initiatives and guidelines extend beyond gender to include several underrepresented groups.
Also like the European Union, the Government of Canada has high standards for GEP/EDI initiatives, as seen in the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) and the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan (2018-2025).
Canadian researchers must ensure that the public bodies, research organizations, and higher education institutions they work with meet Horizon Europe's GEP eligibility criterion. For information on calls within a specific cluster, visit the Horizon Europe contact information. Page to find the relevant national contact point.
Horizon Europe's GEP eligibility criterion
A GEP must:
- Be publicly accessible on the organization/institution's website
- Explain how gender equality initiatives are implemented
- Disclose sex-aggregated data collection and monitoring
- Include awareness and training activities on gender equality and unconscious gender bias
The recommended GEP areas represent common issues that affect gender equality across R&I organizations and should be included in a GEP. They are:
- Work-life balance and organizational culture
- Gender balance in leadership and decision making
- Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
- Integration of gender in research teaching content
- Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment
The European Commission carries out random compliance checks during the course of Horizon Europe:
- Any beneficiary who fails to comply with the GEP eligibility criterion will be terminated
- Should that beneficiary play a key role in the grant agreement, the consortium may also be terminated
For additional tools, resources, and a step-by-step guide, consult the Horizon Europe gender equality plan eligibility criterion page.
To whom does a GEP apply?
The EU has made GEPs mandatory for the following Canadian legal entities to participate in Horizon Europe calls:
- Public bodies (including ministries, research funding organizations, municipalities, and public for-profit organizations such as museums)
- Research organizations (both public and private)
- Higher education institutions (both public and private)
The following Canadian legal entities do not need a GEP to participate in Horizon Europe calls:
- Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- Civil society organizations (CSOs)