VOICES Working Group 3 convened for a workshop at Fraunhofer IAO in Berlin from November 6-8, 2024. The event, organized by Clemens Striebing and Anita Thaler, opened with reflections on the transformative “Breaking the Bias” summer school held in Athens in 2023. Participants shared their journeys of integrating gender perspectives into research and teaching over the past year. While highlighting successes, they also addressed challenges faced and valuable lessons learned. A notable achievement was the progress update on the HSSC edited collection, showcasing the group’s commitment to scholarly contributions in this field.
A significant development emerged during the second session, as members discussed expanding WG3’s scope. While the group has traditionally focused on sex and gender analysis in STEM fields, growing interest led to a new subgroup dedicated to exploring gender dimensions in social sciences and humanities. This expansion promises to enrich the interdisciplinary dialogue within VOICES.
Day two emerged as the workshop’s highlight, focusing on the Falling Walls Science Summit 2024, where VOICES WG3 hosted a panel on “Innovate the Future: Unleashing Breakthroughs through Gender-Sensitive Research.” A highlight was the “Meet the Expert” networking session, fostering valuable connections among participants. In the afternoon, the group made an inspiring visit to the Chair of Gender in Medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where Prof. Gertraud Stadler introduced participants to pioneering initiatives, including the Diversity-Minimal-Item-Set and the innovative work of the Junior Research Group Diversity & Gender in Medicine and The Club of Difference and Distinction.
The final day focused on practical opportunities, with participants analyzing EC-funded calls. The group mapped potential collaboration opportunities for VOICES members, considering geographical distribution, organizational diversity, and individual expertise.
This workshop marked another milestone in VOICES’s mission to promote gender-sensitive research across disciplines. By combining reflection, strategic planning, and networking, it reinforced the community’s commitment to breaking biases in academia and research. As participants returned to their respective institutions, they carried new insights, strengthened networks, and renewed motivation to champion gender-sensitive approaches in their work.
