The ICAC joins, the fourth year in a row, the commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11F).
On the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11), the City Council of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (Barcelona) and the ICAC Committee for Gender Equality are organizing different dissemination actions, from 8 to 14 February 2022.
11F celebration aims to foster full access and participation in science for girls and women. This is the first year that the ICAC carries out a joint initiative with the City Council of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, with whom it has designed a wider transfer project in the field of education (“Our scientific neighbours: do you know them?” ), by GIAP researcher Marta Flórez.
The first of the events will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at 9 am with the talk L’enginy (in)visible, with the UPC researcher and president of the Society Catalan of Technology, Núria Salán. The activity is aimed at schools participating in the Community Service project “Our scientific neighbours: do you know them?”, also promoted by the City Council and the ICAC.
On Wednesday, February 9 (at 6 pm) there will be a round table where researchers Dra. Júlia Aguadé (University of California), Dra. Marta Fransoy (UPC) and Dra. Alicia Casals (UPC) will discuss the challenges and opportunities needed to ensure the presence of women in science. The event will be moderated by Marta Flórez (ICAC).
The commemorative program for February 11 will close on Monday the 14th with a forum debate (from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm), addressing the topic of how to make more visible the female researchers working in disciplines sometimes considered “unscientific”, such as the Humanities. With Dr. Lídia Colomines (ICAC), Dr. Ana Pastor (GAPP-UB) and doctoral student Paloma Zarzuela (GAPP-UB). The debate will be moderated by Óscar Esteban (City Council Santa Perpètua de Mogoda) and Dr. Marta Flórez (ICAC).
Both activities will be held online due to the situation caused by the Covid-19. Those interested in participating in these roundtables should contact igualtat@staperpetua.cat.
Within the framework of the Community Service project “Our scientific neighbors: do you know them?”, promoted by the City Council of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda and the ICAC, we are working on creating an exhibition on women scientists with different schools of the city.
The project, based on the service-learning methodology, has been developed in collaboration with SPMakers Space, throughout the school year, with different schools in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda. The aim of the project is to make visible the talent of women and their presence in science, through the creation of 3D print prototypes created based on the participating female researchers’ profiles.
Marta Flórez will join the next radio podcast Toquem Pedra to explain in detail this project and the ICAC participation in it! The radio show will be next Wednesday, February 16, from 12.15 pm, on Tarragona Ràdio.
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of violence against women (25 November), ICAC Gender Equality Committee fosters some activities to raise awareness on gender-based violence in research and academia.
At the same time, Gender Equality Committee invites you to join an awareness-raising campaign on gender-based violence in research and academia led by European project UniSAFE, which is joining forces with sister projects involved in structural change for gender equality in research and academia (SUPERA, TARGET, TARGETED-MPI, GEARING ROLES) as well as with other interested sister projects, organisations, and individuals. The ICAC wants to congratulate this initiative and the people and teams that promote it. Thank you all!
The campaign will be running between 22 and 29 November 2021. ICAC Gender Equality Committee joins the campaign with the ICAC Twitter account spreading dissemination materials and messages provided, with a common aim to show that gender-based violence in universities and research organisations is a reality.
UniSAFE is providing available resources for all to share, and sharing other resources developed by sister projects. Media, articles, reports designed or collected by UniSAFE and sister projects – namely the SUPERA project – have been made freely available in an Awareness-raising Toolkit. When sharing UniSAFE results, full acknowledgement of the project and authors must be mentioned, as stated in the introduction to the reports.
The Protocol was approved at the end of December 2020. The first half of 2021 efforts have been put into its application and the implementation of the main prevention measures.
The action is part of the HRS4R strategy of the ICAC and responds to the ICAC willingness to guarantee gender equality and fight against violence and discrimination in the academic and labor spheres.
An institutional commitment
The main objective of this protocol is to prevent conducts of sexual harassment at work that may occur in the ICAC and among the members belonging to the academic and labor community of the Institute, or on the occasion of interpersonal relationships that may be established with it, to act to eradicate them and sanction them, in addition to protecting and accompanying people who have seen their rights violated.
With this Protocol, the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology states its zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, and harassment based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, for which it undertakes to:
Formally declare and disseminate its rejection of all types of sexual harassment or harassment based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, in all its forms or manifestations.
Promote a culture of prevention against sexual harassment or harassment based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation through training, information, and awareness-raising activities for the entire ICAC community.
Report, investigate and sanction any conduct that may constitute sexual harassment or harassment based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
Give support and advise people who have been subjected to sexual harassment or harassment based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
Prevention, detection, action
Prevention, detection, and action: these are the three main working lines. Knowledge and awareness of the need to carry out important changes in attitudes to guarantee the inalienable right to work in a safe and respectful environment.
The Protocol places special emphasis on prevention measures and awareness-raising actions among the ICAC community. The ICAC Equality Committee is the body that leads and coordinates the design and implementation of these measures, ranging from the internal dissemination of the Protocol to the commemoration of international celebrations such as the 11F or 25N.
Practical Guide to the Protocol
In the first semester of 2021, efforts have focused on the development of a Practical Guide to the Protocol and its distribution among ICAC staff so that they are aware of the existence of the Protocol and can make use of it if they need it.
«To rise to the challenges of the 21st century, we need to harness our full potential. That requires dismantling gender stereotypes. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let’s pledge to end the gender imbalance in science». UN Secretary-General António Guterres
At present, less than 30 per cent of researchers worldwide are women. According to UNESCO data (2014 – 2016), only around 30 per cent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education.
Long-standing biases and gender stereotypes are steering girls and women away from science related fields. As in the real world, the world on screen reflects similar biases—the 2015 Gender Bias Without Borders study by the Geena Davis Institute showed that of the onscreen characters with an identifiable STEM job, only 12 per cent were women.
Historically, the role of women in the field of science has been in the background. With exceptions, the work of women scientists has been overlooked, ignored or attributed to their male colleagues. This was denounced by Matilda Joslyn Gage, the inspirer of the #NoMoreMatildas campaign. But today it is still necessary to vindicate the role of women in research.
ICAC wants to support this cause. This year it will be collaborating with awareness-raising actions on social networks, where we will share content, resources, proposals … and, very especially, we will introduce some of our female researchers. Follow us on Twitter!
A vindication of female talent that we want to extend to everyone, encouraging you to make your contributions and publish your own videos, using the hashtags #expertesICAC # Tarragona11F # 11F2021 #DonesiCiencia.
— ICAC, Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica (@ICAC_cat) February 11, 2021
La Lídia Colominas és investigadora @GIAP_ICAC i és una #expertaICAC. A través de l’estudi dels ossos dels animals podem incidir en qüestions com la identitat social o les desigualtats en les societats antigues. Impressionant, oi? #Tarragona11F
Entra vídeo: pic.twitter.com/sSdxacDhS2
— ICAC, Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica (@ICAC_cat) February 11, 2021
The radio show Toquem pedra (“hands-on with stones” in Catalan) echoes of the protocol for prevention and action against workplace harassment based on sex, gender or diversity of the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology in its especial of November 25th. With Lydia Gil and Maura Lerga as representatives of Committe of gender equality of the ICAC.
ICAC Equality Committee leads a process for creating a protocol for the prevention, detection, identification and action in situations of sexual harassment at work based on sex, gender or diversity, and other forms of harassment.
This action is included in the ICAC’s Action Plan for Equality (approved by the Board of Directors in 2017) and responds to the ICAC’s will to ensure gender equality and fight against violence and discrimination in both academic and workplace activities.
Thus, it is important to highlight the framework and background of the protocol, which become the starting point of the new initiative that the Institute is now undertaking:
ICAC’s Action Plan 2014-2020 includes the recommendation of having a comprehensive system of Human Resources Management that includes specific measures and instruments for the care and management of diversity. The promotion of equality policies is an ICAC’s strategic objective.
Since 2015, ICAC has had the distinction of Excellence in Human Resources promoted by the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) of the European Commission. The implementation of its Action Plan, which began in 2017, led to the creation of the ICAC Equality Committee, the subsequent approval of the Action Plan for gender equality, and the implementation of the actions and measures included. One of them, the development of a protocol for the prevention, identification and action against violence and workplace harassment, based on sex, gender or diversity.
The protocol has a multipurpose perspective, which includes detection, prevention and definition of actions.
ICAC’s development process of the protocol for the prevention, identification and action against violence and sexual harassment at work has two fundamental dimensions:
Training dimension. Focused on members of the ICAC’s Equality Committee. But also with the engagement of other people relevant for the process, such as those responsible for human resources management. Thus, the group involved in the training process is diversified and results can be transferred to the entire organization.
Training stage addresses the theoretical understanding of what is harassment, sexual harassment and sexual harassment in the work environment; in addition to other forms of harassment.
Training is not only aimed at obtaining practical resources for the protocol drafting, but also at strengthening the design of the necessary stages after the document is ready: implementation, application and dissemination of the protocol in the workplace.
The protocol is a tool that comes to improve and qualify the work environment.
Practical dimension: drafting, writing, elaboration and approval of the protocol. The process does not end with the writing of the document, but must be put into practice in the ICAC. Once the protocol is approved, a process of approximately one year will be opened to see how the protocol is implemented, how it acts if it occurs any situation of harassment and, above all, if it can provide useful tools for prevention.
Elena Apilánez, external trainer for the ICAC’s protocol development, during the first training session of the process. Photo: ICAC
Practical dimension addresses the usage and implementation of the protocol, which wants to stress special emphasis on prevention and the assumption of the new resource by all ICAC community.
Expert support for the training and design process is being led by Elena Apilánez (@elenaap1967), graduated in pedagogy, with a long professional experience linked to international cooperation and a broad academic career focused on the study of the feminist movement.
She is currently developing a doctoral thesis project at the Rovira i Virgili University on the role of the de-patriarchalization in the Bolivian social change. In addition to research, she is professionally dedicated to counselling and training in feminist studies, sexist and patriarchal violence.
The protocol development process has an expected duration of three months, so the document will be ready in December.
The training stage will be developed in four sessions and will include theoretical content on harassment, legal international and national framework, prevention measures or identification of sexist behaviours and attitudes, among other contents.
Further stages will be to advise and design the protocol, from which the ICAC Equality Committee will draft a document proposal and will extend it to the ICAC community.
To achieve a transparent and joined result, some workingsessions will be held for the presentation and validation of the protocol within the ICAC community (research staff, research support staff, direction and management, etc.), before submitting the document to the assessment and approval of the ICAC’s Board of Directors.
The protocol is multidimensional: focus and added value are on prevention, to improve the quality and the research and work environment in all the areas where acts the ICAC.
ICAC Equality Committee with Elena Apilánez, in a training session. Photo: ICAC
Which particularities face the ICAC in the protocol drafting process? Elena Apilánez highlights the complex institutional character of the Institute since it is a public research centre linked to both the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), with the participation of Inter-University Council of Catalonia (CIC) and the adhesion to entities such as the CERCA Institution. This complex panorama of institutional references is, in fact, a strength that gives special power and coverage to the protocol.
On the other hand, Apilánez also remarks the diversity of spaces and activities in which acts the ICAC, an issue that can make more complex the design of the protocol: the activity that the ICAC is not limited to a particular physical space, but there are actions carried out outside the workplace itself (archaeological excavations and prospection, conferences…). The physical space multiplies.
Whiteboard screenshot during a training session for the protocol development. Photo: ICAC
Besides, research activity involves the participation of different groups of people (research staff –from different categories and affiliations–, management staff, research support staff, external services…), who at the same time work in different fields of action, such as research, teaching or dissemination.
This complexity must be solved with a clear definition of the action object of the protocol, which is done through the professional bond of the people with the Institute, and with an optimal identification of situations, spaces, behaviours and measures.
ICAC Equality Committee and the Institute’s Direction are very happy to carry out this initiative and hope to obtain the best possible result. The Equality Committee will ensure that the process is transparent and joined by all ICAC community. We will keep you updated!
The I-CERCA, through of their gender commission (in which participates the ICAC) will benefit from the funds of the Pacto de Estado contra la Violencia de Género, that provides the Ministry of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Equality.
Under these funds, since 2019 some tools and actions have been developed in the fields of training and awareness against gender violence at academic environment, and in particular at the research centers.
Here we show you the video “From microaggressions to sexual harassment. Women in scientific research face a spectrum of challenges just because of their gender. They cannot be tolerated. Act.”
On November 25, it was declared an International Day against gender violence during the first Feminist Meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Bogotá (Colombia) in 1981.
Every year, on the occasion of this appointed day, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the local regional governments of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, the Barcelona City Council, the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia and the Catalan Association of Municipalities agree on a manifesto to commemorate and make visible this event and everything it represents.
The ICAC Equality Committee has organized a joint reading of the manifesto to support the celebration of this cause.
International days are occasions to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.
Each international day offers many actors the opportunity to organize activities related to the theme of the day. Organizations and offices of the United Nations system, and most importantly, governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities and, more generally, citizens, make an international day a springboard for awareness-raising actions.
Data on gender violence
One in five women in the world has suffered sexual abuse in childhood, and one in three women has suffered physical or sexual violence by their partner at some time in their life (WHO). Report on the global situation of violence prevention (2014).
In Europe, 62 million Europeans have experienced sexist violence throughout their lives and one in three has experienced physical or sexual aggressions (European Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2014).
In Spain, so far this 2019, 51 women have been killed by their partners or ex-partners. This data would be greater if we counted the murders of women outside the scope of the couple or the ex-partner that the Spanish law against gender violence of 2004 considers.
In Catalonia, 51.3% of women have suffered sexist violence (excluding comments, sexual gestures or exhibitionism) throughout their lives. And 25.3% of women, one in four, have suffered some particularly serious aggression during their life cycle.
According to a survey by the Department of Interior (Catalan government), a total of 20,393 women have suffered sexual or sex-based harassment at work in Catalonia, according to the Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Families, Chakir el Homrani, with data from 2016. This data represents almost 12% of cases of violence against women by non-couples, which occur in the workplace.
Homrani released this information during the “Siege of Harassment” day, where he warned that this “is just the tip of the iceberg” because there are many cases that are not reported. He also stated that there is no victim profile because it is a transversal problem (source: El Punt Avui, November 8, 2019).
#ElPresentÉsFeminista
Campanya de comunicació de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona (2019)
During 2019, the ICAC Equality Committee contacted 32 researchers (own staff and visiting researchers) to offer supporting them in the registration process to the experts website of Associació de dones investigadores i tecnòlogues (AMIT). As a result of this initiative, it did 14 new signing up. Currently (February 2020), there are 16 ICAC researchers present in this database.
This year ICAC has reinforced its commitment to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which it already held in 2018 with different events.
An ICAC researcher participates in one of the Meetings with scientists from Tarragona,organized by the Dissemination Association of Camp de Tarragona on the occasion of 11 February celebration (program).
On Monday, February 11, at 12 noon in the Aula Magna of the Campus Catalunya at the URV. With the participation of the scientists: María José Figueras (rector of the URV), Anna Gutiérrez (ICAC), Sonia Fernández (IISPV) and Sílvia de Lamo (URV). Facilitator: Toni Pérez-Portabella.
Dissemination talks in secondary education schools
«On this International Day, I urge you to make a commitment to end prejudice, to invest more in STEM education for all women and girls, and to offer them opportunities to improve their career prospects and their longer-term professional development, so that all people can benefit from their innovative contributions in the future».— Secretary-General, António Guterres
