COST is fully committed to promoting gender equality and supporting both talented women and men in research and innovation. The COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy strongly encourages gender balance of research networks, as well as the take up of leadership positions by (young) women COST Action participants. As such, COST aims to ensure equal opportunities and gender-friendly career advancement.
Advancing gender equality in research and innovation is a key objective of the European Union’s gender equality policy. Across Europe the numbers have increased over the last years (women are indeed a majority among PhD graduates), however, only a third of women are scientists, a phenomenon especially visible in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) where women are even less represented.
State of play of women representation in COST Actions*:
- COST Actions have an average of 47% women representation
- 52% of researchers in COST Action leadership positions are women
- 37% of Action Chairs and 49% of Action Vice-Chairs are women
- 49% of the total young participants in COST Actions are women
- 53% of ITC participants in COST Actions are women
*June 2022