Improving work-life balance & organisational culture
At the core of MINDtheGEPs' efforts to reshape our organisational culture for gender equality is the integration of work–life balance. These measures are inclusive, extending their relevance to all staff members, with a focus on providing comprehensive support for career advancement while managing personal responsibilities like caregiving.
The research system tends to favour those who take it on unconditionally. But conference participation, networking, and strict submission deadlines do not always combine well with the unpredictable nature and great responsibilities of caregiving. We work to create the preconditions for moving away from the unconditional worker model, where researchers are expected to value work over family and not have the right to disconnect from their research to devote time to other areas of their lives. To deconstruct the idea that caregiving is a feminine trait, and to support a more gender-neutral distribution of family responsibilities, we will support both men and women in this transition.
We will raise awareness among researchers at partner organisations of what their rights are in terms of combining their research careers with caring for their families. And we will negotiate solutions to the most pressing issues with local management.
As part of the MINDtheGEPs work-life balance initiative, designed to dismantle structural barriers faced by women and men in balancing work with family responsibilities, we are focusing on four strategic actions. These actions complement MINDtheGEPs’ broader goals, including combating biases, supporting skill development for women in research, and promoting inclusivity in senior positions. The focus is on cultivating an equitable organizational culture where all researchers can thrive without discrimination.
Negotiating work-life balance measures with leadership
Our best practice advice on how to negotiate solutions to the most pressing issues with local management.
Creating a webpage on work-family balance
Our best practice advice for a website raising awareness among researchers at partner organisations about their rights for balancing research careers and family care.
Contact person
Paulina Sekuła
Paulina Sekuła, PhD, is assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Her research interests cover gender equality, particularly in the realm of gender and research and academia, political culture and theories of democracy. For a few years she has been involved as a researcher in projects focusing on structural change in higher education institutions, including H2020 projects GENERA (Gender Equality in European Research Area, 2015-2018), ACT (Communities of Practice for Accelerating Gender Equality and Institutional Change in Research and Innovation across Europe, 2018-2021) and MINDtheGEPs (Modifying Institution by Developing Gender Equality Plans, 2021-2025) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation project Study of the potential of international mobile women scientists (2020-2021). Currently she is also a co-facilitator of the ACT Community of Practice for Gender Equality in Central and Eastern Europe.
Contact: paulina.sekula[at]uj.edu.pl
Public deliverables & reports
D4.1 – Guidelines on planned actions for recruitment and retention
Balancing recruitment, retention and career progression
In this deliverable, which is based on a combination of desk research, our own expertise, MTG partners’ experiences, in addition to existing guidelines, we have prepared a set of overall recommendations supporting academic and non-academic organisations to foster the awareness of gender issues in the field of recruitment, retention and career progression. Our guidelines on planned actions are developed to help to understand and prepare organisational change, which should improve gender equality in an institution.
Migalska, Alexandra., Sekuła, Paulina., Stoecker, Ewa., Ní Fhlatharta, Aiofe., & Macmahon, Helena. (2024). D4.1 – Guidelines on planned actions for recruitment and retention. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10491838
Explore key areas
Empowering decision-making
To increase female researchers' participation in the decisions that affect them.
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Gendering research content
By including gender perspectives in research, teaching, evaluation & peer-review.
Balancing career progression
Supporting skills development and breaking stereotypes, towards work-life balance for men and women.
Measures against gender-based violence
Raising awareness about gender-based violence and sexual harassment among leadership in their organisations, ensuring there are sufficient support structures in place, and committing to stopping this behaviour.
Our approach
We promote gender equality on structural and cultural level of research organisations by fixing the system, not the women. Examining gender imbalances, designing gender equality plans for sustainable change, and monitoring and evaluating the progress we make.
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