The European Conferences on Gender Equality in Higher Education have, since 1998, brought regularly together hundreds of gender equality actors from Europe and beyond. The conferences provide an international forum to discuss and exchange information and experiences and share research results on the changes and challenges related to gender in academia, gender equality promotion and interventions in higher education and research institutions. Eight conferences have been organised since 1998, roughly every two years, with the latest one being hosted by the Vienna University of Technology in September 2014 (http://gender2014.conf.tuwien.ac.at/(link is external)). The European Network on Gender Equality in Higher Education has since 1998 been contributing to the continuity and organisation of these encounters.

France is hosting this event for the first time. Gender research, including research on women in academia in particular, is well developed in France and has grown considerably these past ten years. France has also put into action since 2012 an important legislative and regulatory machinery aimed at ensuring effective equality between women and men in all sectors of society and in higher education and research particularly. Its institutions, as well as its associations and companies, are involved in numerous actions, and partners in various European networks. Notably, France is project coordinator for the GENDER-NET(link is external) ERA-NET, which will be holding its final conference as part of this 9th Conference.

Source: EIGE