‘As a centre of expertise on gender equality and gender mainstreaming, the Institute relies

on the theoretical and empirical work undertaken in academia and research institutes. It seeks to ensure that its findings are used to inform further research in academia on the one hand, and on the other to ensure the highest quality of Institute’s research work by welcoming and engaging with critical perspectives of academics and researchers on the work of the Institute,’ says Jolanta Reingarde, senior researcher at EIGE.

One of the major areas of institute’s research work is related to the analysis of the EU-wide data and gender statistics and development of EU-wide indicators on gender equality for better informed policy making and monitoring. EIGE is working closely with the major data providers on international and European level, such as UNECE, OECD, ILO, Eurostat and Eurofound.

‘EIGE would greatly benefit from systematic and more structured engagement with researchers, especially in Institute’s work to promote the production of high quality reliable and comparable gender statistics in the EU and beyond,’ says Jolanta Reingarde.

Bringing researchers and decision-makers together

EIGE is involved in a number of research areas broadly divided into the following four categories:

• Follow-up of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the EU
• Gender-based violence
• Gender Equality Index
• Gender mainstreaming

‘In addition, EIGE’s Resource and Documentation Centre, RDC, is an important tool to ensure that researchers both have access to the broadest and most pertinent information related to their work, and subsequently disseminate it centrally through the RDC to other researchers,’ says Jolanta Reingarde.

Last year EIGE launched EuroGender – an electronic European network on gender equality – which serves as a collaborative platform for various stakeholders in the field of gender equality and gender mainstreaming.

‘It aims at bridging policy and decision-makers with researchers and civil society in exchange of views, experiences, information and relevant data in the area of gender equality in order to support and encourage research and optimise the use of available resources,’ says Jolanta Reingarde.