Gender-based violence in higher education and research: a European perspective

The gender gap in science is intrinsically linked to gender-based violence in academia. Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination against women that occurs in an academic environment, and it often takes the form of sexual harassment. Some European countries, such as France, Italy, and Ireland, have solid legal systems in place to address sexual harassment in academia. However, as the report of the European Research Area and Innovation Committee Standing Working Group on sexual harassment points out, not all European countries have legislation in this area, or if they do, it is often ineffective. While national surveys generally show that it is difficult to prevent or combat sexual harassment in universities, practices related to corporate social responsibility could be used to start the conversation about the social responsibility of universities to fight against sexual harassment, which is reflected in this article.