Gender-based violence in the ERA: prevalent, unreported and tolerated.
Recent European research study shows that gender-based violence is widely prevalent across European higher education and research institutions and countries. Nearly 62% of students and academic staff have disclosed having experienced at least one form of gender-based violence in their place of work or study (UniSAFE survey; Lipinsky et al. 2022a; Humbert et al. 2022).
This violence, whatever the form, remains largely unreported: 93% students and 77% staff disclosed not considering the behaviour serious enough to report, not recognising the behaviour as violence at the time of the incident, or not thinking that anything would happen if they reported it (Lipinsky et al. 2022b). Despite institutional advances, policies against gender-based violence generally lack effectiveness, are poorly designed and implemented, and rarely monitored and evaluated (Huck et al. 2022; Pilinkaite Sotirovic & Blazyte 2022; Linková et al. 2023; Ranea-Triviño et al. 2022).
It’s time to change!
The Commission’s ERA Forum Sub-group ‘Inclusive Gender Equality in the ERA has recently published a Zero-tolerance code of conduct. It aims to address incidents of gender-based violence in research and higher education environments by setting out a common approach, definitions, and a list of principles to guide all stakeholders and individuals in the ERA, to create a European Research and Innovation environment free from all forms of gender-based violence, based on the values of gender equality and inclusiveness, respect, dignity and safety.
In alignment with the Zero-Tolerance Code of Conduct, we’re calling on higher education institutions, research organisations, and all ERA stakeholders to take a bold stand against any form of gender-based violence by committing to its principles.
