The Center for Gender Equality in Science at University Alexandru Ioan Cuza in Iasi, Romania, with Professor Dohina Balahur, organized a workshop on Citizen Science and Gender on March 20, 2019.

The workshop was meant to explore whether specific links exist between Citizen Science (CS) and Gender, and if so what they could mean. According to the organizers, in fact “there are some ideas in public discussion, e.g. “associations observing nature” are male dominated, but neither there are clear data nor the subtle mechanism is addressed. There should be more clarity on: – CS activities organising team (& roles), – participants (& roles), – domain of activity (scientific fields).”

Several investigators from Romania and abroad took part to the workshop as well as many students.

Among other speakers, Carole Paleco, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium, EPWS member, illustrated her analysis in the framework of the project DITOs – Doing it together Science, concluding that the culture of a country appears to have more impact on women participation in Citizen Science than the discipline.

Giuliana Rubbia, Associazione Donne e Scienza, member of the Social Advisory Board of the project GRECO – Fostering a Next GeneRation of European Photovoltaic SoCiety through Open Science participated remotely, from Rome, Italy, to this workshop. She brought some reflections on gender dimensions in environmental research and commented on the on going activities in GRECO, which is engaging citizens in solar energy.