Background

The Gender Dimension is a political priority for the European Commission with a particular focus on academia and research. Modul Technology (MT) is a research and innovation organization and as such, in alignment with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, is committed to ensuring that the gender dimension is fully integrated into all the aspects of its research and innovation activities. 

MT, as a spin-off of Modul University Vienna (MU), voluntarily commits to the relevant objectives of the MU’s Affirmative Action Plan, which states the principles and actions for managing inclusion and diversity in the university. Additionally, MT promotes an inclusive and supportive work environment, to accommodate all team members’ special needs and non-career-related obligations.

Objective 

The main objective of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) at MT is to define and introduce measures and actions to ensure that the gender dimension is integrated into all the aspects of its research and innovation activities. Through the GEP, we ensure an environment of inclusiveness and MT team awareness of gender-related issues. MT’s goal is to create a safe environment for everyone, where everybody feels welcomed and included.

To this end, MT is committed to:

• achieving gender equality, identifying the causes of gender imbalance, and proposing measures to counter this across the company; and 
• seeing gender equality through the lens of gender diversity and ensuring that people of all and no gender(s) are not disadvantaged, discriminated against, or hindered in any of the workings or actions of the institution.

Measures and actions

Responsibility for the work to promote gender equality

• Equality is the responsibility of all employees at MT, and it is the responsibility of the MT Managing Director to ensure that the goal of an equal workplace is achieved, and that the work to promote gender equality is given sufficient visibility. To ensure this:
• The Chief Technology Officer of MT is taking the role of Gender Equality Officer, whose responsibility will be steering the GEP and monitoring the gender issues within MT.
• The Gender Equality Officer is responsible for writing, maintaining, and implementing the GEP. 
• The GEP is a living document, and all MT members are encouraged to add their contributions through the Gender Equality Officer. The GEP will be revised as and when needed, at least once per year, and all changes will be immediately disseminated among all employees.
• Because MT is a relatively small organisation with total number of employees below 5, it is not possible to set realistic indicators to measure the impact of GEP and its activities in terms of quantitative results at this stage. However, this aspect will also be reviewed on annual GEP reviews and subjected to change in the growth of the company and its number of staff.
• The up-to-date version of the GEP will be available on the MT website as well as in the internal documentation system. 

Gender balance in leadership and decision-making

• To prioritise the promotion of other genders in leadership, decision-making, positions, and job categories where leadership from those genders is less or non-existent, MT will include specific scores in the evaluation of candidates, based on the representativeness of the gender in the area, position or job category to which they aspire.

Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

• MT is an equal opportunity employer. All job applications are being assessed solely based on candidates’ qualifications.
• MT commits to use gender-inclusive language during recruitment process to encourage candidates of all gender identities to apply for the offered positions. 
• All new employees will attend a presentation addressing gender equality issues at the start of their employment at MT. All MT employees will attend an annual presentation on gender equality issues to ensure their awareness and compliance with the GEP. The presentation will be revised and updated when needed, at least once per year, and all changes will be timely disseminated among employees.

Integration of the gender dimension into research content 

• All research proposals from members of the MT will, as a minimum, conform to the requirements for gender equality set out by the GEP. 
• MT researchers will include the gender dimension into their research, whenever relevant. For example, our work on Natural Language Processing (NLP) must avoid any cases of gender bias (e.g., where doctors are assumed to be male and nurses are assumed to be female, etc.)

Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment

• The Gender Equality Officer has the responsibility to prevent and investigate gender-based violence or harassment, as well as to take action to end ongoing violence or harassment and decide on appropriate consequences together with the Managing Director. 
• All employees are responsible for their own attitudes, values, and actions, and are expected to act when someone in their vicinity is subjected to violence or harassment. 
• If an employee is subjected to sexual violence or harassment, the employee can contact the Gender Equality Officer or the Managing Director. If the employee wants to speak to someone outside MT, the employee is recommended to seek help from Vienna’s Chamber of Labour and Act4Respect. 

The official and signed documents can be found here.