The Lisbon Council values and promotes gender balance and an inclusive working environment where every employee can feel safe and express their full potential. As an organisation that strives for high quality and independence, diversity of opinion in research and across diverse initiatives is deeply valued at the Lisbon Council.

The Lisbon Council’s management adopts this gender equality and inclusion plan to take stock of gender balance and provide guidance and practical steps for future commitments. The plan will be made available internally to all staff involved in planning, managing and monitoring the activities of the Lisbon Council while also being published via the website of the Lisbon Council.

The Lisbon Council’s management is committed to ensuring equality of treatment based on merit. With this gender and inclusion equality plan, the Lisbon Council’s management aims at fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity as an asset to the strength and performance of teams and the overall impact of the organisation. The Lisbon Council’s management is convinced that its success relies on the inclusion, commitment and engagement of the entire team, regardless of gender identity.

The overall goals of the plan include:

1. Enhancing gender-related and inclusion knowledge by implementing trainings and activities that promote workplace inclusion and sharing inclusive language guidelines;
2. Producing yearly reports on gender representation and inclusion efforts;
3. Increasing gender balance in leadership and senior roles.

 

National and European Regulatory Framework

The Lisbon Council’s strategies are informed by Belgian laws and European guidelines, ensuring that the organisation’s policy-making remains in tune with societal shifts.

Since the 19th century, Belgium has been proactive in promoting and maintaining gender equality in its political framework. The international feminist congress convened in Brussels in 1897 was a significant event highlighting gender disparities. As time progressed, the scope of women’s rights expanded with milestones like gaining the right to vote and running for office in 1948. Today, Belgian women not only have rights equivalent to men’s but also possess rights specific to their gender.

The following is a brief list of key directives and legislation on non-discrimination in Belgium. Find here a more exhaustive list.

• Articles 377bis, 405quater, 422quater, 438bis, 442ter, 444, 453bis, 514bis, 525bis, 532bis, 534quater of the penal code (introduced by the general anti-discrimination law of 25 February 2003);
• Law of 10 May 2007 on combating certain forms of discrimination, called “antidiscrimination law”;
• Law of 10 May 2007 on combating discrimination between women and men, referred to as “gender law”, amended by laws of 22 May 2014;
• Law of 10 May 2007 adapting the judicial code to legislation to combat discrimination and punish certain acts motivated by racism or xenophobia;
• Law of 22 April 2012 to combat the gender pay gap.

As a think tank operating at the heart of European policy-making, the Lisbon Council’s commitment to gender equality is not only a matter of internal principle but also a direct alignment with the foundational values and legal architecture of the European Union. The principle of equality between women and men has been an integral part of the European project since its very inception.

The following is a brief list of key directives and legal principles of the European Union. Comprehensive information and data are available from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), while the full legal texts can be accessed via EUR-Lex.

• Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU): The foundational principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value;
• Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation;
• Council Directive 2004/113/EC of 13 December 2004 implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services;
• Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast);
• Directive (European Union) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers;
• Directive (European Union) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms;
• Directive (European Union) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence;
• Directive (European Union) 2024/1500 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 May 2024 on standards for equality bodies.

 

Key Performance Indicators

A data-driven approach is central to the Lisbon Council’s gender equality plan. The first step is to gather and analyse comprehensive gender-disaggregated data across all organisational levels, ensuring transparency and accountability. This includes monitoring workforce composition, gender representation in leadership positions and gender balance in publications and initiatives. Recruitment and retention processes will be assessed to ensure inclusivity with a particular focus on promoting women into senior roles. Regular data collection will allow for evidence-based adjustments to policies and initiatives.

Key performance indicators:

1. Gender composition of the total workforce;
2. Percentage of publications co-authored by women;
3. Percentage of women speakers taking part in the initiatives of  the Lisbon Council;
4. Percentage of women moderators taking part in the initiatives of  the Lisbon Council.

 

Basic Figures 2024

For the first indicator, based on the situation at 31 December 2024, the Lisbon Council gender balance appears positive, with women representing 55.9% of the workforce. However, a closer examination of data disaggregated by sex and job level reveals major differences as we move up the organisational hierarchy. Women are the majority of project managers and cluster coordinators but there are no women at the director level. On the other hand, in the governing bodies, women represent one-third of the board members and 50% of the general assembly.

This phenomenon is widespread with many organisations and institutions observing a similar pattern globally. The Lisbon Council recognises this challenge and is committed to addressing it proactively at the organisational level.

The figures include both the Lisbon Council Secretariat (people directly employed by the Lisbon Council and based in Brussels) and freelancers working on research and innovation projects funded under the Horizon Europe program on behalf of the Lisbon Council (“natural persons under a direct contract”, meaning category A.2 of personnel).

The data for each staff grade is summarised in the following table.

Staff
Project manager and research associate level	11 women, 7 men	61% women
Cluster coordinator level	6 women, 3 men	66% women
Director level	0 women, 3 men	0% women
Governing bodies
Board members	1 woman, 2 men	33% women
General assembly	2 women, 2 men	50% women
Total	19 women, 15 men	55,9% women

Implementation 

Roles and Responsibilities 

As part of the gender equality plan, the role of the gender equality and inclusion officer and a gender equality and inclusion working group are established within the Lisbon Council.The gender equality and inclusion officer is responsible for gathering the data, analysing it and producing a yearly report.

The gender equality and inclusion officer will oversee the implementation of the gender equality plan, ensuring that policies are consistently applied across departments. The officer will collaborate with the gender equality and inclusion working group and senior management to uphold commitments, providing annual reports on key gender equality indicators.

The gender equality and inclusion working group — representative of the Lisbon Council’s demographic and role makeup, including members of the secretariat, freelancers and human resources — aims to further cultivate a fair and inclusive working environment with a diverse workforce and to strengthen the positive attitude of the Lisbon Council towards diversity through culture, values and leadership. It will play a central role in implementing the plan, ensuring that gender equality objectives are integrated across all activities. Meeting periodically, the working group will monitor progress, drive initiatives and work collectively to achieve the set goals, fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace.

Yearly Priorities Setting
The yearly goals and priorities are established based on a data analysis of the “as-is situation” year on year. The gender equality and inclusion officer and the inclusion working group will meet with the management team to propose yearly priorities.

The priorities are aligned with the overall objectives of the gender equality plan.

For 2025, these will include:

• Producing yearly reports on gender representation, including gender-disaggregated data;
• Proposing inclusive language guidelines that might be included in the style guidelines;
• Organising gender equality and inclusion workshops.

Monitoring and Accountability
Monitoring is essential to creating change. Continuous oversight and assessment are integral throughout the gender equality plan’s life cycle. Oversight ensures the timely execution of actions and gauges their trajectory. Scrutinising the gender equality plan helps identify potential roadblocks and resistance, allowing for timely modifications.

The gender equality and inclusion officer is in charge of monitoring the progress on the key performance indicators (KPIs) identified above, which will be published in a yearly report on gender equality and inclusion, a public record of progress, fostering transparency and reinforcing the Lisbon Council’s commitment to gender equality and inclusion.

The yearly report, to be published on the website,  will include data on KPIs, a summary of actions taken and key priorities for the year ahead.

The gender equality and inclusion working group and the gender equality and inclusion officer, tasked with this oversight, will convene periodically to review progress reports, enabling the early spotting of challenges and facilitating proactive modifications to the gender equality plan.