Candidates announced for the GEDI Working Group’s Chair elections
Dear members of the GEDI Working Group,
As you know, your Working Group is running elections for the Chair position. Please find below the eligible candidates in alphabetical order:
- Jenny Lind Elmaco
- Maria Bostenaru Dan
You can read about each candidate's manifesto below.
What happens next?
The election poll will open for voting on 1st August at 00:01 CEST, and remain open until the 4th of August 2024 at 23:59 CEST. During this time, candidates are asked to refrain from campaigning.
Information about voting will be emailed to members and published on the Working Group page.
Candidates’ manifestos
- Jenny Lind Elmaco
Short Manifesto: I am humbled to announce my candidacy as Chair of the MCAA GEDI Working Group. My research career has paralleled my dedication to advancing gender equality, promoting women in science, fostering inclusive diplomacy, and advocating for gender-responsive sustainability. I believe that by harnessing the potential within the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), we can ensure that excellent science and research also means inclusive science and research.
My experience as Chair of the MCAA Southeast Asia Chapter has equipped me with the skills to foster collaboration within our community apart from being a member of the GEDI.
Beyond MCAA, I am a regular delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New York, UN Administrator and UNESCAP representative of BPW International which has allowed me to contribute significantly to international policy and advocacy efforts. In the Philippines, I founded Girls Congress, a pioneering initiative aimed at mentoring the next cadre of female leaders.
I have worked with Women without Borders in Vienna, was Gender and Social Issues Specialist at the Asian Development Bank and Advisor of other international entities dealing with these issues. I have also had the privilege of handling the Diversity and Inclusion portfolio for an umbrella organization of over 200 EU companies.
I am honored to be an awardee of the Global Exemplary Education Double Gold Award and the Global Exemplary Innovative Leadership Diamond Award from the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network (GlobalWIN), UK. Additionally, being part of the Global Women's Issues Cohort of the US State Department IVLP has enriched my understanding of global gender issues.
As GEDI Chair, I will leverage my extensive experience and network to advance the goals of MCAA. There is much more we can contribute strategically in these intersectional issues of our time.
I am excited about the opportunity to serve.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you.
Jen
- Maria Bostenaru Dan
I have been vice-chair of the m-WiSET under the MCFA, with Gianna Avellis, the GEMS founder, then also in GEMS (for which I was in the application team already 10 years ago) and I continue to be involved in GEDI. I am also founding chair of the Romanian chapter, and member of the Italian, Hungarian and German one. I am a researcher at the research management department of an university, and hence also member of the RM WG.
Basically you can read about my involvement with women in science here
https://sites.google.com/view/mobilewomeninscience/home
This involvement can be divided in organising events, conducting projects (including my postdoc in Rome and COST action participation) and writing publications.
This involvement spans dealing with issues regarding contemporary women in research with issues about pioneer women in the profession (women as both subject and object). Currently I am member of working groups in COST VOICES and COST WMov. In the first I did a review on mentorship for women.
Besides women in science I want to promote also minority groups (women are no minority in how many they are, just in how many are promoted). In this sense I go in the direction under the New European Bauhaus of inclusivity. I am writing a book on this and the preface is by a non-binary colleague. My particular focus are ethnic minorities, either historical (for my own background and the one of my family) or through recent migration. COST Women on the move for ex. looks at both: women and migrant (even in history). So are also the mobile women who benefited of MSCA.
I would keep the current structure and seek the help of task group leaders for the areas not covered by myself (for example with regard to family I care for an elderly mother only).
In the near future I plan to apply for MSCA researcher night funding which could involve also the group. In the past I participated to the researcher night in Romania, Hungary and Italy, and in Hungary it was related to women in science.