The ICMM commemorates March 8 with an intergenerational meeting and the presentation of good practice manuals on Equality

Women's Day has been commemorated in a special way this year, with an intergenerational meeting of women and science and the delivery of the latest initiative of the Equality Commission.

Suppose we put together an Equality Commission that is not only sensitized to equality issues but also trained and active in everything related to inclusion, with an event like March 8, International Women's Day. In that case, great things can come of it, like the event that took place this Wednesday at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM), CSIC. In it, the members of the Commission have had the opportunity to present themselves with voice and face and to tell what they do. Because although the CI has been active since 2018, nothing can ever be taken for granted, and it was convenient to remember their essential work in the day-to-day of ICMM.

Taking the commemoration, the CI has presented its latest initiative: Manuals of Good Practices in Equality. Aware that reading all the legislation on equality, inclusion, or accessibility can be complicated in a day-to-day full of tasks, this commission, in collaboration with the illustrator Lucía Beltrán, has designed some nice manuals that seek to bring all these keys closer to all ICMM staff.

These are decalogues (five in total, although it is expected that there will be more in the future) in which the Equality Commission has gathered some keys to carry out inclusive congresses, to take LGTBIQ+ diversity into account, to disseminate equitably, to take into account equality in the day-to-day of the research groups and to be able to carry out evaluation processes in an unbiased way. They are not mandatory regulations, but guides expected to facilitate the work and make you reflect.

The manuals, distributed among the audience and which can be found in the Institute's hall, are also available for download online (and totally free) on the website of the Equality Commission, where you can also find other CI activities, such as your statistical analysis, your training courses or your dissemination events.

An intergenerational meeting

The finishing touch of the day took place when the researchers Pilar López Sancho, Irene Palacio, and Clara López took the stage. Three women in three very different stages of their research career (López-Sancho is finishing it, Palacio is at its peak and López is just beginning with it) have sat down in front of everyone who has wanted to listen to them chat in a relaxed way about what it means being a woman and, specifically, about what it means to be a woman in science. In a safe space for a conversation moderated by Ángela R. Bonachera, all attendees have been given the opportunity to participate in the talk, and many have done so (both men and women), and have taken the opportunity to present doubts, problems, and solutions.

Starting the meeting by remembering some first March 8 that had an impact on the protagonists of the event, Pilar, Irene, and Clara shared the moment in which "something clicked" in their head and they realized the discrimination based on gender that they were normalizing. A tremendously enriching talk in which many daily issues of women in science have been put on the table, although many others have remained unanswered. López Sancho, with a long research career and in the fight for women's equality in the sector, has provided extensive experience and extensive knowledge of studies in this regard. Palacio, for his part, has been blunt in pointing out macho moments that he has experienced. López, the youngest of all, has contributed a more personal point together with the experience of friends and acquaintances.

Together, the conclusions have been very similar: a lot has been achieved in recent years, and there is more respect and recognition for women, there is no doubt about that, but we must not let our guard down: there are still pending issues that should not be forgotten, like the feminist struggle is the struggle for equality in all sectors (race, class, sex, gender, etc.), because the well-being of women is the well-being of all of society.

-- Ángela R. Bonachera (text) and Carlos Arroyo/Morgan (photo and video) - ICMM Communication Unit --