The gender perspective has become cross-sectional in many aspects of European projects, and it is necessary to include a focus on the analysis in Research and Innovation projects. On many occasions this approach is not so clear how to be integrated, especially in technological projects, where, a priori, it may be thought that gender differences may not be relevant in the research results. However, hence the importance of building multidisciplinary teams that bring together researchers and developers from the technology sector with specialists in the human and social sciences to contribute to the gender impact of the results obtained.
Taking into account the updated guidelines for the Integration of Gender Analysis on Research from the Spanish Agency for Research, several dimensions can be considered in order to integrate a gender approach in research and innovation projects. For instance;
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The research approach: Establishing how the findings of the project will be applied to the specific needs of men and/or women.
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The research methods. Presenting sex-disaggregated samples, and, where relevant, proportional representation of females and males in order to ensure that the information collected will allow for a sex/gender analysis.
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Relevant ethical issues that may have particular implications for men and/or women (similarly or differently).
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The dissemination/transfer of knowledge defining a strategy that will facilitate the application of the research results to the needs of women and/or men.
Considering these dimensions, the gender perspective cuts across different tasks and activities in R&I projects. This inclusion must be present from the design of the research, to the development of tests with end-users, ensuring gender representativeness in the samples. Subsequently, it is important to show the results disaggregating the data obtained by gender, as well as to carry out a study of the ethical implication for men and women and a communication strategy underlining the applicability of the results with gender differences and similarities.
Underlining these aspects, one of the added value of Search and Rescue project is the interdisciplinary composition of the consortium, where professionals from the social science sector work together with technology professionals, integrating the gender perspective and including it in the methodological framework of the evaluation of the project's results.
