The CBMSO Equality Working Group is formed in accordance with the Equality policies launched by the State General Administration and the CSIC, and namely, in line with the CISC Equality Plan that states that “in any Institute and Centre wherever it is considered, Equality Committee could be formed, as a good practice policy and on a voluntary basis, aimed to boost the Equality policies reflected in the CSIC Equality plan in force at the moment”. The Board of Directors of the CBMSO, in its meeting held on April 22nd 2021, approved the constitution of the Equality Working Group of the CBMSO.
In accordance with the guidelines for the constitution of Equality Working Groups in the ICUs of the CSIC, this group should contain the same number of women and men and include members of any of the professional categories of the Centre, to ensure proper attention to the different situations of inequality that may arise. The Equality Working Group is not executive in its nature, but rather, will act transmitting any concerns related to this matter to the Board of Directors of the CBMSO. Its performance must be in accordance with the Equality Plan of the CSIC and, being the CBMSO a CSIC-UAM joint centre, it must also comply with the Equality Plan of the UAM in force at the moment.

The aim of the CBMSO Equality Working Group is to ensure and to foster in our Centre the practice of the policy of equal opportunities in all its activities, without distinction of gender, race, ideology, age, affective-sexual orientation or religion.

This Working Group will maintain close contact with the Comisiones de Igualdad and Mujeres y Ciencia del CSIC, and with the Unidad de Igualdad de Género de la UAM and it belongs to the “Comisión de Igualdad Intercentros CSIC” located at the UAM+CSIC Campus of excellence (CBMSO, CIAL, CNB, ICMAT, ICMM, ICP, ICV, IFT, IIB, IMN) to work in a coordinate way in topics of gender equality and promotion of women researchers.

Including a gender perspective in research is a human rights challenge, aimed at achieving the desired equality between women and men. It requires that several actions be carried out aimed at increasing the participation of women in research, and towards their professional stabilization, as well as the incorporation of gender dimension in research. Many years of research have revealed that sexual and gender biases are harmful and costly to society. Therefore, gender innovations:

• add value to research and engineering, ensuring excellence and quality in results and improving sustainability.
• add value to society, by making research more responsive to social needs.
• add value to businesses, through the development of new ideas, patents and technology.

Embracing the gender dimension in research implies that gender is considered a key analytical and explanatory variable. Therefore, we must apply a systematic and visible strategy to promote gender equality in science and research. This strategy includes four aspects: 1) increasing the participation of women in science and research, 2) research must address the needs of women as well as those of men, 3) there must be a gender-specific research aimed at improving the understanding of gender issues and 4) in basic research, adequate samples of both cells and tissues of male and female animals should be used to avoid bias in the results. Moreover, investing in a gender-sensitive approach to research content contributes to higher quality and validity.

Finally, gender must be taken into account at all stages of the research cycle:

• Ideas phase, generating gender-sensitive ideas for gender-sensitive research proposals and hypotheses
• Proposal phase, ask gender-sensitive questions, choose a gender-sensitive methodology
• Research phase, collect gender sensitive data, analyze data in a gender sensitive way

Dissemination phase, report data in a gender-sensitive way, use gender-neutral language.

Documents:

• Manual El género en la investigación
• Inclusion del genero en la investigación
• Science Europe Gender Practical Guide 2017
• Gendered innovations 2 2020

• Día Internacional de la mujer y la Ciencia: Catalina Ribas "Científica tenia que ser..."
• Día Internacional de la mujer y la Ciencia: Mesa redonda con motivo del 11 F en la Academia Joven de España
• Día Internacional de la mujer y la Ciencia: Mesa redonda en homenaje a la prof. Margarita Salas
• CBM en la noche europea de los investigadores e investigadoras
• Elena Campos Sánchez, colaboradora de la Comisión de Igualdad del CBM, ha participado como invitada en el debate "Observatorio. Mujer y Niña en la Ciencia" (ElMundo y Yo Dona) que tuvo lugar el día 2 de febrero de 2022 con motivo  del 11F, Día Internacional de la Mujer y la Niña en la Ciencia.  Intervino como investigadora joven  y presidenta de la Asociación para Proteger al Enfermo de Terapias Pseudocientíficas (APETP).

Lenguaje Inclusivo

• Lenguaje no sexista o inclusivo
• Androcentrismo y lenguaje

There is no use in denying the fact that human populations consist of very diverse people and, in a fair society, such diversity would permeate through each and every layer of our social and work life. But that is just not the case.

Turning our eyes specifically to the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), data are not very encouraging. Lack of diversity can be easily spotted on the clear gap between men and women, especially noticeable on high-power positions; but also on the fact that the great majority of the workforce is composed of white men (even in regions where they are a minority within the rest of the population), on the poor percentage of people with any kind of disability or the high proportion of LGTBIQ+ people that need to conceal their identity at work or that report any type of discrimination or harassment.

This sense of diversity is also related to the quality of scientific research: when scientists takes into account the diversity of their groups, Science is not only more inclusive and fairer, but also improves Science itself. Accumulated evidence points out that more diverse groups are more innovative and creative, more diligent and better at anticipating alternative viewpoints and at solving complex problems. Furthermore, diversity is shown to enhance and promote innovation, which is particularly interesting for the STEM field.

However, we must not forget that the need of detecting the lack of diversity and the potential harm this may exert on people is justified first and foremost as a matter of respect towards Human Rights: inclusion of every person, regardless of their specific reality (including sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious preference…) must be guaranteed – not only for those on privileged positions, but for every single person, also at work.

The scientific community is finally addressing this problem, supported by growing social efforts towards visibility and the work of associations in Spain and outside our frontiers. From the Equality Workgroup at CBMSO we want to show and share our commitment with the acknowledgement and promotion of diversity in every form and fashion and join the global effort towards inclusion and effective equal opportunities for everyone.

Take a look at the supplementary material to gain a more in-depth insight on the topic and get access to resources addressing diversity and inclusion.

If you have experienced any problem related to the acknowledgement, acceptance or expression of your identity in any way or you know someone struggling with these issues, you can contact us on igualdadcbm@cbm.csic.es

La expresión «acoso» abarca toda conducta ofensiva, humillante, intimidatoria, violenta o discriminatoria por razones de origen racial o étnico, religión o convicciones, opinión, sexo, género, orientación sexual, discapacidad, edad o cualquier otra condición o circunstancia personal o social.

El acoso laboral (“mobbing”) es una situación de violencia que se da en el lugar de trabajo, y en la que un individuo o varios, ejercen violencia física, verbal o psicológica contra una determinada persona de forma reiterada y prolongada en el tiempo. Su propósito o efecto es crear un entorno hostil o humillante que perturbe la vida laboral de la víctima. 

El acoso sexual se define como un subtipo de violencia (verbal o física) de naturaleza sexual, que ejerce una persona sobre otra que no desea o no ha expresado que desee estas implicaciones sexuales. El acoso sexual está condenado por la comunidad internacional, y es ilegal en más de 125 países.

El acoso por razón de sexo, orientación sexual, por razones de expresión o de identidad de género (incluidos en adelante en el término acoso por razón de sexo) implica cualquier comportamiento realizado por estas razones que pueda considerarse ofensivo, humillante, violento, intimidatorio, con el propósito o el efecto de atentar contra la dignidad de la victima y de crear un entorno laboral intimidatorio, degradante u ofensivo.

Las situaciones de acoso laboral, sexual y por razón de sexo causan miedo y desánimo y pueden afectar seriamente a la salud mental de las personas que lo sufren, incrementando el absentismo laboral y llevando incluso al abandono del puesto de trabajo. El acoso constituye una violación de los derechos humanos de libertad sexual, dignidad y seguridad en el trabajo. 

Tanto el CSIC como la UAM cuentan con protocolos frente al acoso sexual y por razón de sexo y frente al acoso laboral. Su objetivo general consiste en prevenir las posibles situaciones de acoso en cualquiera de sus formas y afrontarlas de manera efectiva, en caso de que lleguen a producirse.  El procedimiento de actuación está indicado en los protocolos. Por si sirve de ayuda, y siempre teniendo en cuenta que el cometido del grupo de trabajo es meramente consultivo, sirviendo de un canal de comunicación, si alguno de vosotros se considera víctima de acoso puede contactar directamente con alguno de los miembros del grupo de trabajo de igualdad donde se os atenderá de modo totalmente confidencial.

Documentos:

• Protocolo de actuación frente a la violencia en el trabajo en la Administración General del Estado 2015
• Protocolo prevención de acoso sexual CSIC
• Resultados estudio sobre acoso sexual en el CSIC 2020
• Protocolo prevención de acoso UAM
• Conocer y sensibilizar para prevenir el acoso laboral
• Guia para un uso no sexista de la lengua
• Prevention and Intervention protocol against sexual and sex-based harassment at CSIC
• Protocolo de actuación frente al acoso laboral de la Agencia estatal CSIC

• I_Plan_Igualdad_AEI_2021
• II Plan para la Igualdad entre mujeres y hombres en la AGE 2015
• II_Plan_Igualdad_CSIC 2015
• IV EVALUACION II-Plan-igualdad-CSIC 2019
• IV EVALUACION PLAN IGUALDAD CSIC Anexo-II 2019
• LEY ORGÁNICA 3-2007, de 22 de marzo, para la igualdad efectiva de mujeres y hombres
• Tercer_Plan_de_Igualdad_UAM
• V EVALUACION PLAN IGUALDAD CSIC ANEXO II 2020
• V EVALUACION_II PLAN IGUALDAD CSIC 2020
• Cuadríptico de la CMyC
• Presentación de las 10 Acciones Positivas lanzadas por el CSIC
• III Plan de Igualdad Agencia Estatal CSIC
• VI EVALUACIÓN_II PIMH_2021
• ANEXO VI EVALUACIÓN II PIMH_2021