In September, South Korea announced it will participate as an associate member in the European Union's (EU) research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, starting next year. The Ministry of Science and ICT has introduced joining Horizon Europe as a major achievement this year.
However, to actively participate in Horizon Europe, South Korea has challenges to address. The issue is gender innovation. Gender innovation is the concept that characteristics such as gender should be considered in scientific research and technological development, in order to reduce data bias toward specific demographic groups and produce accurate results.
At the International Gender Innovation Symposium held on the afternoon of the 18th at the Korean Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul, Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, noted, “To tackle global issues such as climate change, digital transformation, and social equity, researchers from diverse backgrounds and genders must collaborate,” adding that “teams with diverse compositions excel in inclusivity and drive effective innovation.”
According to Ratso, only 22% of the doctoral degree holders in the EU's ICT field are women. In engineering, the figure is less than 30%. Among researchers applying for patents in the EU, fewer than 10% are women. Ratso pointed out, “The percentage of women at all career stages is low,” emphasizing that “this issue is a common global challenge, and South Korea is no exception.”
To address this, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, which oversees Horizon Europe, is presenting guidelines for gender innovation. Starting in 2022, research institutions applying for funding from Horizon Europe must have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP). Ratso explained, “This is to dismantle structural barriers within research institutions and promote inclusivity,” noting that “actually, in places with well-prepared plans, the work conditions for women as well as overall productivity are improving.”
She added, “In the medical field, the exclusion of women from early clinical trials has led to reduced treatment efficacy for larger populations later on, and even to findings that drugs may be harmful to women.” She emphasized the importance of considering gender when designing research projects to prevent this.
Ratso stated, “South Korea is already striving to improve gender equality in the fields of science and innovation, but it must take the lead in structural changes and engage in global cooperation to address the issue of gender innovation.” She mentioned that participating in cooperation to achieve gender equality could foster not only scientific progress but also social inclusivity.
Jonathan Dawes, Deputy Executive Director of the UK Research and Innovation, which established a Gender Equality Plan while participating in Horizon Europe, presented on the current state of gender innovation in the UK. Dawes remarked, “Among the UK Research and Innovation, the Medical Research Committee (MRC), which is responsible for health, is striving for gender innovation in research planning,” adding, “When using animals or animal-derived tissues in research, we require both sexes to be used and, if not, to provide sufficient rationale. We are also creating and distributing checklists to aid decision-making.”
Dawes emphasized, “Discussions from the MRC will be applied to the policies of other fields,” stating that in Gender Equality Plans, five elements are crucial: leadership and securing relevant resources, data collection, analysis, and implementation, with ‘implementation’ being the most important among them.