The conference was hosted by Pisa University and organized within a collaboration of Associazione Donne e Scienza (The Italian association Women and Science) and the European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS.
We had chosen a topic of great relevance, which still requires more in-depth studies: the gender-based harassment, most often carried out by men against women, in places of study and work such as universities and research institutions. The conference intended to be a first step towards the quantification, awareness and activation of mechanisms aimed at counteracting the phenomena of harassment, and violence in general, which also occur in science and academia.
The participation to the conference was quite numerous, as also has been the contribution of the interesting oral and poster communications. Participants and speakers were coming from a great number of European countries (Armenia, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, The Netherlands and United Kingdom).
In the three sessions, the problem was analyzed, also on the basis of current case studies, and examples of good practices adopted. The first session provided a very precise picture of the current situation in Europe, the second focused the different solutions adopted to tackle the issue, the third analyzed the prevention actions to be taken to overcome harassment.
In addition to a very interesting conference from the point of view of the information shared and the existing researches and activities presented, this event was an important opportunity to start joint initiatives to oppose this intolerable phenomenon. Firstly, the EPWS has agreed to collect on its website information relative to studies and action, as a repository which can be a useful basis for activities to come; secondly, a document is being prepared, aimed at asking European institutions to break the wall of silence on abuses and to adopt coordinated actions of prevention and fight against sexual harassment in those places that, for institutional mission, should guarantee gender equality.
The program of the conference with the downloadable presentations is available at this link: http://www.donnescienza.it/2018-wetooinscience/
The proceedings book with the extended papers is in preparation.