The Science Act reform will for the first time provide legal certainty as respects gender equality in the R&D&I system. Programmes to support women's progress in their scientific careers, positive action measures in favour of women and programmes to promote the innovative entrepreneurship of women are included.
The gender perspective will be a cross-cutting line of action in the planning instruments of public agents in science, technology and innovation, which must have a gender equality plan in place and evaluate it annually, as well as having protocols against sexual harassment and harassment on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.
The regulation provides for the creation of a gender equality seal in R&D&I for centres demonstrating that they meet criteria of excellence in this area, as well as the obligation to establish mechanisms to eliminate gender biases in selection and evaluation processes.
On the other hand, the gender perspective is strengthened in the content of research and the transfer of knowledge, promoting gender studies from an inclusive and cross-cutting perspective.