On June 11th, TransforM co-hosted a dynamic discussion on sustaining change to intersectional equality in research and innovation with Prof. Dr. Yvonne Benschop of  Radboud University in the Netherlands. The event took place as part of TUM’s Diversity Week and was partially funded by the TUM GDIF.

Hosted alongside the Science and Technology Policy Research Group in the TUM STS department, the event was part of the ongoing Gender-Diversity Project. The series explores different dimensions of diversity: diversity in research, diversity in research evaluation, and diversity in research leadership.

Prof. Benschop began the discussion with an overview of the significant progress made in promoting gender equality in academic settings over the past 50 years. Even so, she underlined the fact that institutions still struggle with confronting this topic intersectionally, meaning looking at how gender equality interacts with inequalities in other areas such as race, sexuality, or disability status.

What became clear as she presented research from her work in the internationally run INSPIRE project is that improvements in gender equality in research and innovation settings are multifaceted and often non-linear. Sustaining improvements requires feedback loops, leadership, and communities of change. There are continuous needs for awareness raising in research work environments and to those in power. Gender equality issues should be both mainstreamed in all practices of a university, but this should not take away from simultaneous need for targeted programs. Furthermore, collaborations need to be built, resources, and sustained through peer and mentoring communities that help enable change.

The presentation was followed by a fruitful discussion of how to practically implement these findings in research settings. How do we understand the needs of those most marginalized, due often to intersectional inequalities, and design efforts and programs that enable progress particularly in these spaces? How can we provide support and mentorship to those within our communities of change to support research on gender equality? And how does all of this impact knowledge sharing as it relates to the impacts of research and innovation on equality, justice and fairness? 

These discussions have provided a substantial basis for the TransforM Cluster to continue efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in our research approaches and our research teams.

We thank Prof. Benschop for sharing her work on this important topic, TUM for supporting this event series, and to the STS department for co-hosting this event with us!