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A workshop addressing key social issues was held on Friday, December 5, 2025. The 5th Hybrid Meeting of the National Network of Equality and Anti-Discrimination Committees (GEARnet) of Research Centers and Independent Research Institutes was chaired by Athena Research Center. Athena coordinated the meeting which aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices related to equality, care, and the protection of human rights in the research environment.

 

The workshop opened with welcoming remarks by the President and General Director of Athena, Mr. Ioannis Emiris, followed by an update on the Network’s activities by its President, Ms. Katerina Pastra. Following was a presentation on the work of the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights concerning the response to gender-based violence.

 

Three interactive workshops by the CHALLEDU team followed, open to members of all Network organizations. These focused on the CAREdiZO project on work–care balance, CAREaίες on preventing violence against older women, and MOMarCEt on empowering mothers and promoting the circular economy. The event continued with a discussion on intersectionality in Action Plans and the development of a common questionnaire for collecting qualitative data.

 

The meeting concluded with an open discussion on the Network’s next steps, reaffirming Athena’s pivotal role as the presiding organization in coordinating equality and inclusion initiatives within the research community.