GENDERACTIONplus Position Paper 9: Ending gender-based violence to ensure academic freedom

This policy advice outlines recommendations for the European Commission (EC) on the importance of securing the academic freedom of students, teachers, researchers, and other staff by ending gender-based violence in the European Research Area (ERA). This advice is especially important as a first step in conceptualising why and how the issue of academic freedom relates to the prevalence and consequences of gender-based violence in the ERA. The policy advice is also relevant because, according to policy and research studies on the subject (EPRS 2023; Kovács 2024; Massen 2024; Seckelmann et al 2021), the strengthening of academic freedom and gender equality is partly questioned in the ERA. Although ending gender-based violence has long been addressed as a priority area by the EC and other stakeholders (Bondestam, Lundqvist & Young Håkansson 2023; Call for Action 2022; EC 2024; Fajmonová et al 2021; Ljubljana Declaration 2021; SWG GRI 2020), there are still no concrete measures or policy advice in the ERA on ending gender-based violence to ensure academic freedom. The key message pursued in the policy brief is thus the need to acknowledge the reciprocal relationship between academic freedom and gender-based violence, especially as the former cannot exist without ending the latter.