Earlier this month, the INSPIRE Conference in Budapest gathered more than 70 brilliant minds from around the world, coming together to dive into critical themes like gender equality, intersectionality, and Gender Equality Plans (GEPs).

In the context of INSPIRE, Communities of Practice (CoPs) are key to building capacity for change, for two reasons: 

What if we told you that the news about our project has reached the other side of the world? 

That's right, our partners are always enthusiastic to discuss the project's objectives in various events around the world - after all, the discussions on gender equality measurement and intersectionality are not limited to a particular region, but they are happening on a global scale. 

Since the publication of the ETAN report in 2000 by the European Commission, much research has been devoted to understanding the reasons for and the consequences of the underrepresentation of women in research.  

A virtual exhibition where you can interact with visitors and present your project's work - who would have thought this was possible only a few decades ago? But luckily for us, technology is working in our favour this time, allowing us to network with similar initiatives from across the globe, create valuable partnerships, and gather inspiration. 

A little update from our team: we've just got back to our homes after a few days in Slovenia, as the INSPIRE team had the opportunity to meet again in person, and this time right in the heart of Europe, in green and charming Ljubljana!

To support the implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), foster the co-development of innovative practices and training, INSPIRE will bring together practitioners and academics in the field of Gender Equality in Research and Innovation and set up four Knowledge & Support Hubs (KSHs):

As coordinators of the concluding H2020 project SPEAR, we had the great opportunity to use the occasion of SPEAR’s final conference to make a dream come true: gather what we have come to appreciate as a growing and steadily strengthening community of Gender Equality (GE) practitioners, scholars, leaders and policy-makers for

How does the future look like for gender equality in research and innovation? 

The simple answer is that the future will look however we make it look. If we join forces, coordinate our efforts, and are persistent in our approach, we will create a more inclusive research and innovation environment.

Every year, towards the end of April, we are celebrating the International Day of Girls in ICT - a recognition of the women and girls who have defied stereotypes and pursued careers in technology and a chance for us to reflect on what should be done to encourage more young women to explore this area. 

There is no better feeling than celebrating International Women's Day alongside partners and sister projects who share your belief in women's empowerment and work on building a fair world for women in Europe and beyond!