250 Using the Crowdsourcing Online-Platform as IT Tool for Gender Equality Plan Development Ganna Plekhanova1, Olena Plokha2 Information Systems Department, S. Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, UKRAINE, Kharkiv, 9-A Nauky avenue, email: Ganna.Plekhanova@hneu.net1, Olena.Plokha@hneu.net2 Abstract: The paper is devoted to summarizing the voluntarily have the opportunity to speak on issues related to experience of using the crowdsourcing online-platform as the gender perspective. The main purpose of the gender audit an IT tool to support the gender audit process and is to facilitate training, increase employee awareness and Gender Equality Plan development at universities on the integrate gender perspectives into policy and current example of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University activities of the organization. of Economics (KhNUE). The paper considers the stages Consider the experience of conducting a gender audit of of the platform development, the strategy of attracting the university in general and the IT faculty in particular on users, the results of the platform operation at KhNUE. the example of the Kharkov National Economic University Keywords: crowdsourcing online-platform, gender named after Semen Kuznets. audit, gender equality, Gender Equality Plan. At KhNUE gender audit was conducted with the financial and methodological support of the European Union (EU) as I. INTRODUCTION an integral part of the EQUAL-IST project " Gender Equality Plans for Information Sciences and Technology Research Gender equality policy today has become one of the most Institutions" [3] funded by the EU within the framework of important trends in the development of the European higher the HORIZON2020 program. education system. The issue of gender equality, that is, the The main objective of the three-year EQUAL-IST project parity of participation of both men and women in education, is to implement structural changes to increase gender research, career development, university management and equality and positive changes in three main areas: first, in the decision-making, is an important strategic task for modern processes of internal university management, including in European Universities, since ensuring gender equality in all personnel management processes, and secondly, in the spheres of social relations is one of the most important processes of research design and delivery, thirdly, in the priorities of the development of the European Union (EU) process of learning and interaction with students and in [1], [2]. Ukraine, proclaiming a course on European internal communications. integration, should make the best efforts to overcome the The methodology of gender audit used in the project was problem of gender discrimination and develop real based on the International Labor Organization (ILO) mechanisms and tools for implementation of the gender methodology [4], but was substantially adapted to the needs equality strategy. Ukraine has ratified a number of of IT faculties of universities. It should be noted that the international conventions on gender issues and has experience of adapting the ILO methodology to the needs of undertaken to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for universities is not new for Ukraine, such work was carried women and men. That is why the issues of gender out by the Network of Gender Centers of the universities of monitoring, analysis and audit are becoming more and more Ukraine, and the experience of adapting the methodology to relevant for Ukrainian educational institutions. This led to the needs of IT departments is innovative not only for the choice of the topic of this study, which aims to Ukraine, but also for Europe. summarize the experience of using the online platform as an During the gender audit work was carried out in three IT tool for the gender audit process support at higher main areas: firstly, personal interviews with university staff, education institutions in general and at IT departments, in and secondly, seminars with students, faculty members, particular. representatives and heads of functional units (4 seminars in II. CROWDSOURCING PLATFORM AS A TOOL FOR total). The third stage of work was related to the quantitative SUPPORTING THE GENDER AUDIT PROCESS analysis of indicators of gender parity. In addition, a survey was conducted among participants of seminars. Main The gender audit is a powerful and effective tool for purpose of it was to identify gender inequalities and forming a gender-sensitive environment at the university. discrimination. All these measures allowed not only to The gender audit, based on the principle of active identify problems with the implementation of equal participation, is a modern monitoring tool for advancing opportunities for women and men, but also to identify the gender equality policies, where not only quantitative but also slots for their solution. qualitative indicators play a significant role. The peculiarity In order to receive more information from different of such an audit is that self-assessment and democratic sources in one place it was reasonable to use on-line involvement is used, when all interested employees ACIT 2018, June 1-3, 2018, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic 251 collaboration platform. As a collaborative workspace for Basic features for external users: register on the platform; gathering opinions of the different people from different comment on the problem; comment on ideas. countries within the Horizon 2020 EQUAL-IST project was At the stage of designing the platform, the project team suggested to develop and use crowdsourcing on-line generated a list of functional requirements for the platform, platform CrowdEquality [5]. which became the basis of the development process of the IT CrowdEquality is an interconnected environment in which product. Since the platform is actually a tool for ensuring the all the participants in dispersed locations can access and development of gender equality plans, at different stages of interact with each other just as inside a single entity. The the platform's operation, its functionality has changed: environment is supported by electronic communications and ideation phase - April 2017; reviewing phase - May 2017; groupware, which enable participants to overcome space and voting phase - June 2017; development of gender equality time differentials. policy. The main goal of development of the crowdsourcing At the initial stages of the platform it was possible to put platform is to collect ideas and triggering discussions about problems and ideas to overcome them. Then at the "voting" promising initiatives for promoting gender equality and stage these functions were blocked, instead, users had the diversity and improving work-family balance in research opportunity to vote for the best ideas. At the stage of institutions. CrowdEquality strives to be an inclusive developing a gender equality policy (the final stage), users community that empowers men and women all over the could use the accumulated data (problems, ideas, the number world to freely discuss the issues of gender equality in of votes for each idea), but all other platform features were research institutions. CrowdEquality is designed to connect not available. academic and non-academic staff members working at After the platform was created and launched, the key task research institutions, policy makers, gender experts, was to engage users (external and internal) to visit the members of relevant Non-Governmental Organisations platform in order to gather information about gender issues (NGOs) and national/international networks, as well as all in a particular institution. individuals interested in the design and implementation of In order to involve external experts KhNUE team Gender Equality Plans (GEPs). conducted the following activities: presentation of the project and the platform at a meeting III. CATEGORIES OF USERS OF THE PLATFORM of the University's Academic Council; The crowdsourcing online platform was used as an IT tool presentation of the platform at workshops; to support the gender audit process and ensure gender parity. presentation of the platform at the meeting of the This collaborative platform, developed and implemented by Information Systems Department and faculty meetings; the EQUAL-IST project consortium, is the first European promotion through the personal contacts; online platform that collects problems in achieving gender presentation of the platform for students at the meetings equality at universities, ideas for overcoming them and of student groups and during breaks between classes; creating conditions for discussion. Platform users are able to: promotion through the internal mailing lists; become acquainted with the problems of achieving gender promotion through the university's web-resources (web- equality existing at universities in European countries; site and social media). express their own vision of gender inequality in various In order to involve external experts the following activities fields at universities; were conducted: share thoughts and influence the internal policies of presentation of the platform at several scientific universities and research institutions in Europe. conferences; When developing the platform, the following categories of presentation at the meeting of Kharkiv branch of All- users were implemented: internal users (representatives / Ukrainian Network of Gender Education Centers and representatives of the university community - those used to promotion through the mailing list of this network; register the address in the university domain); external users presentation at the meeting of Kharkiv Platform “Culture (experts / experts on gender issues); guest (unregistered of Equality”; user); platform administrator; administrator from the presentation of the platform in the frame of TV interview university. about gender equality perspectives in Ukraine. For internal users, the platform provides the following basic functionality: IV. RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE PLATFORM register on the platform; AT KHNUE to place information on the existing problems in the field As a result of the gender audit and the use of the of gender equality at the university; crowdsourcing online- platform, the main problems in the express their ideas on overcoming gender equality issues; field of gender parity were identified and ranked as in the get acquainted with other proposed problems and ideas, KhNUE and at other universities of the EQUAL-IST project comment on them; consortium (Table 1). In addition, more than 30 ideas have express your preferences for the most addictive ideas by been collected to overcome the problems found at KhNUE. pushing "Like"; vote for best ideas (available only at the voting stage). ACIT 2018, June 1-3, 2018, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic 252 TABLE 1. RANKING OF PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD OF pressing problems that require urgent solutions as well as GENDER PARITY AT KHNUE resources. Much more staff and students were concerned about “Work-life” balance problem, especially those who Challenges Rank of the had young children and those who worked or studied at the challenge second shift. “Work-life balance” problem 1 The gender audit and the use of the crowdsourcing No opportunities for students and 2 platform allowed, among other things, to identify problems academic staff who became parents that were not related to gender in themselves, but caused “Glass ceiling” problem (men are mainly 3 problems in team relationships (for example, work-life at the decision-making level, women - at balance problems), to change the perceptions of gender the operational level) equality, to become aware of this subject matter In the future, Lack of resources – no budget for gender 4 this will create the effect of the chain reaction, when the issues, no personnel, no committee acquired knowledge, representations are transmitted to those responsible for gender equality communicating with the carrier of such information. Lack of gender culture and tolerance 4 In addition, gender audit, as an effective tool for The gender issue is consequently not a 5 improving socially-oriented policies, and the crowd-sourcing part of any decision making process platform as a powerful and modern IT tool, will enhance the No courses on gender issues 5 attractiveness of the university as an employer and as a place Absence of the Gender Education Center 6 for learning, since advancing gender equality policies is, at the University among other things, imaginative component. No gender expertise of teaching 7 Thus, the crowdsourcing platform and gender audit at the materials university proved to be an effective means for performing a Low share of girls at computer sciences 7 number of important tasks: assessment, monitoring, and boys at economy sciences; Very low communication, gender sensitive work methods, and number of initiatives to attract girls to education. Analysis of the ideas and comments placed on the computer sciences and boys – to crowdsourcing platform, the results of the electronic voting economy sciences of the university communities allowed project team to develop the Gender Equality Plan for KhNUE for 2017 – The concentration of women in certain 8 2019 (Table 2). women's sectors of employment, The actions envisaged by this plan are extended to two primarily in the humanities and levels of intervention: University level or level of economic departments Information Systems Department. Gender stereotypes and lack of 8 awareness about gender equality issues TABLE 2. GENDER EQUALITY PLAN FOR KHNUE Gender insensitive communications; 8 Challenge 1: “Work-life balance” problem and lack of Gender-sensitive language adaptation is facilities for the balance support at the start phase Goal 1: Improve work-life balance of staff and students At the stage of the gender equality policy development, the Аction 1 Implement provisions for ensuring priority best ideas proposed on the platform were used by universities when drawing up the schedule of classes for in developing gender equality plans. All ideas were divided academic staff having young children, into four categories according to the sections of the GEPs: children with disabilities, large families, for HR and Management Processes; Research Design and pregnant women Delivery; Teaching and Student Services; Institutional Аction 2 Carry out research on determining the need Communication. and resources for opening a children's room As a result of the audit and the crowdsourcing online- on campus platform it was found that, with a commitment to the Аction 3 Implement provisions for ensuring principles of gender equality in general, the staff and teleworking for academic staff having young students did not have a clear understanding of gender children, children with disabilities, large concepts and an integrated gender approach. Gender is still families, for pregnant women considered an additional, not a basic concept. It is necessary Аction 4 Promote a culture of equal family to make the gender approach "visual", "concrete", "clear" responsibilities among students and staff and "integrated". Аction 5 Create and support section on the University In this sense, a particularly important is an information website (and / or Intranet) with information campaign aimed at the promotion of gender equality. on gender equality issues, work-life balance The most often expressed opinion is that staff members and rights, provisions and regulations students do not feel the problem of gender inequality at the Challenge 2: “Glass ceiling” problem (vertical University or do not consider gender imbalance an important segregation) problem requiring special measures to address. Very popular Goal 2: Encourage the achievement of gender equality was the opinion among users that the University has more (vertical principle) through information and awareness ACIT 2018, June 1-3, 2018, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic 253 raising activities assessment of teaching materials Аction 6 Conduct seminars and round tables on Challenge 7: Gender imbalance among students of gender equality for administrative staff computer sciences and economy sciences Аction 7. Make recruitment procedures and selection Goal 9: Improve gender balance among students of criteria transparent computer and economy sciences Challenge 3: Concentration of female staff in certain Аction 16 Conduct awareness raising events to spread women's sectors of employment (horizontal information about women in IT industry and segregation) women's career opportunities in IT Goal 3: Encourage the achievement of gender equality Аction 17 Establish special nominations for women / (horizontal principle) through information and female teams in existing IT championships awareness raising activities and competitions Аction 8 Conduct information and awareness raising Аction 18 Perform pilot anti-discriminatory expert activities on gender equality issues for staff assessment of marketing and advertising Challenge 4: Lack of gender equality machineries materials for IT Bachelor's and Master's Goal 4: Ensure sustainability of GEP’s actions by programs establishing gender equality machineries Challenge 8: Gender insensitive communications Аction 9 Establish a Commission on Gender Equality Goal 10: Raise awareness about the value of gender Issues and develop mechanisms for its sensitive / gender neutral communication functioning Аction 19 Provide language and visual support for Challenge 4: Lack of gender equality machineries gender equality in the media content of the Goal 5: Ensure sustainability of GEP’s actions by University including gender equality goals and measures in the University strategic documents III. CONCLUSION Аction 10 Ensure the support of certain provisions of The further work of the EQUAL-IST project team will be European Charter for Researchers by related to the implementation of GEP and the dissemination university staff of experience among other universities. The issues and ideas Аction 11 Propose and implement changes to existing proposed on the platform will continue to serve as a basis for Collective Agreement of University developing gender equality plans for universities and for Administration and Trade Union Committee disseminating the best practices of European higher in order to insure the implementation of GEP education institutions. Challenge 5: Gender issue is not in focus in decision- making process ACKNOWLEDGMENT Goal 6: Make decision-making bodies informed and This research was conducted in the frame of the EQUAL- committed to the principles of gender equality IST project that has received funding from the European Аction 12 Collect, analyse and publish gender Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme disaggregated statistics of the University under grant agreement No 710549. Unit EU.5. – Science Challenge 6: Lack of gender culture and awareness with and for society. about gender equality issues Goal 7: Raise awareness about gender equality issues, REFERENCES develop gender culture of academic staff and students [1] Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019, Аction 13 Conduct information and awareness raising http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender- activities on gender equality issues for equality/document/files/strategic_engagement_en.pdf students and academic staff [2] Strategy for equality between women and men 2010- Аction 14 Develop and disseminate printed and 2015, http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender- electronic awareness raising materials on equality/files/documents/strategy_equality_women_men_ gender equality en.pdf. Challenge 6: Lack of gender culture and awareness [3] EQUAL-IST project, https://equal-ist.eu/overview about gender equality issues [4] A manual for gender audit facilitators: The ILO Challenge 6: Lack of gender culture and awareness participatory gender audit methodology, 2nd Edition, about gender equality issues http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/--- Goal 8: Adopt a gender approach in specific teaching gender/documents/publication/wcms_187411.pdf materials [5] CrowdEquality - the Idea Crowdsourcing Platform for Аction 15 Perform pilot anti-discriminatory expert Promoting Gender Equality and Diversity, www.crowdequality.eu ACIT 2018, June 1-3, 2018, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic