The European Union aims to foster research excellence, among others, by increasing
gender equality (GE) in the European research area. The mandatory introduction of
gender equality plans (GEP) mobilised universities to assess, target, and monitor
GE in different fields of science. A wide range of barriers have been explored in
STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), characterised by
the low participation of women. However, significant obstacles to GE can emerge in
relatively more gender‐balanced and, therefore, rarely studied fields, such as agriculture
and life sciences (ALS). Experiences can differ in Central and Eastern European countries,
characterised by rather traditional gender and family norms. This study explores different
stakeholders’ perceptions of the main barriers of GE, with particular attention to
ALS. We conducted nine focus groups (82 participants in total) with middle management,
academic staff, and students from Czech, Hungarian, and Slovenian universities, aiming
to contribute to the revision of their first GEP. Discussions were centred on recruitment,
leadership positions, work–life balance, gender‐based violence, sexual harassment,
organisational culture, integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching,
and institutionalisation of GEPs. Findings revealed that women in ALS face partly
similar gender‐based obstacles to their counterparts in less gender‐balanced fields—perceptions
of education and career choices, work–life imbalance, and exclusion by recruitment
and promotion practices—and also additional ALS‐related challenges of laboratory and
fieldwork. Findings highlight the need for institutions to carefully address these
areas in their state‐of‐the‐art assessments and develop sector‐specific, tailor‐made
GEPs.
