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Gender and Diversity

Gender and Diversity

The European Magnetism Association is an umbrella organization for the magnetism community across Europe and it strives to be a welcoming organisation for everyone within that community, regardless of their gender, race, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, or social class.

The role of the Officer of Gender and Diversity within EMA was created in 2020 to evaluate, monitor and improve gender and diversity outcomes across the many actions of EMA, including the Joint European Magnetism Symposia (JEMS), the European School on Magnetism (ESM), the awards, and the online seminar series.

Policy

The value of events is enhanced when attendees from all segments of the community are assured of a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment, free from any discrimination and harassment that may prevent full participation. To this end, EMA has recently introduced a Code of Conduct for EMA-supported events. This code aims to create an environment where inclusiveness is encouraged and embraced, and harassment and bullying are explicitly prohibited. It includes mechanisms by which violations of the code can be reported and details consequences for such violations.

Furthermore, events co-organized or endorsed by the EMA, such as JEMS and ESM, and those supported by a technical sponsorship will be tasked with making a concerted effort to achieve an appropriate representation of women and other minorities at these events. Specific Guidelines for Gender and Diversity will be distributed to event organisers which include specific actions on ensuring diversity in organising committees and speaker lists, recognising and facilitating the family commitments of attendees, gathering diversity data and evaluating the effectiveness of any measures taken to improve diversity.

Since its inception in 2020, the organising committee of the EMA e-seminar series have made a concerted effort to ensure its speakers represent the community from which they are drawn. For instance, 40% of all early-career speakers to date are female, closely matching the percentage of female doctoral graduates in the physical sciences at the European level (She Figures report, 2021).

Gender and diversity actions are not only about addressing the needs of minority scientists and students – they are about ensuring the long-term creativity and vibrancy of the whole magnetism community.

Documents and Contact

  • The Officer for Gender and diversity, Nuala Caffrey, is in charge of developing and enforcing the actions on Gender and Diversity, on behalf of the EMA. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact her.
  • Guidelines for Gender and Diversity. These guidelines are part of the various aspects to address when making a bid to host an event supported by the EMA. They serve as a support for organizers to implement a policy on the topic, in connection with the Officer for Gender and Equality.
  • Code of conduct. Attendees to EMA events are required to expliciitly agree with this code at the registration time. The organizers of the event are responsible for ensuring that the code of conduct is efffectively followed.

Actions

To mark the International Day of Women & Girls in Science 2025, #EveryVoiceInScience, EMA asked women working in magnetism:

Have you encountered any challenges in your scientific career that you feel could be directly linked to your gender? What has been your most rewarding experience as a woman in science, or an experience that motivates you to continue despite the challenges? If you could make one change—big or small—to help make science a more welcoming place for everyone, what would it be?
The vast majority of respondents said yes The responses? Inspiring! Let’s listen, learn, and take action!