Gender equality: The clock is ticking

Many European universities lack gender equality plans, despite EU funding requiring them from 2022

The EU is getting ready to cut off research funding to organisations it feels are not doing enough to address sexism, and many universities do not seem to be prepared.

As part of its efforts to improve gender equality, the European Commission is requiring universities and certain other institutions to have ‘institutional gender equality plans’ in place to be eligible for funding from its €95.5bn Horizon Europe R&D funding programme. Although the programme began this year, the requirement will only apply to calls that have deadlines in 2022 or later.