On International Women’s Day (8M), NEIKER reaffirms its commitment to equality between women and men, a principle that forms part of our organisational culture and has become a cross-cutting theme in our strategy thanks to the participation of the entire team.

Third equality plan

NEIKER’s Third Equality Plan is currently in force, incorporating four areas of work: good governance, women’s empowerment, economic transformation and social organisation, and finally, support for a life free of violence against women.

Within these areas, the plan sets out various specific objectives aimed at continuing to move towards a more equal organisation. These include ensuring the inclusive use of communication as a tool for generating equality, for which we have an Inclusive Language Manual.

Another objective is to promote the empowerment of women at NEIKER, encouraging their participation as speakers at internal and external events, in order to highlight the knowledge and leadership of the centre’s professionals.

The plan also promotes the dissemination of shared responsibility in care through various awareness-raising actions aimed at the entire organisation.

Finally, we work to ensure a workplace free from violence against women and sexual or gender-based harassment. To this end, we have a specific protocol in place to deal with sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, as well as a confidential advisory service to deal with any situations that may arise.

Progress in 2025

Throughout 2025, we have continued to develop various actions aimed at consolidating an equitable, inclusive and discrimination-free working environment, under the leadership of the Equality Negotiating Committee and with the involvement of the entire organisation team.

Among the main initiatives of the last year, we would highlight the Equality Satisfaction Survey, a tool that allows us to understand the perceptions of the NEIKER team and continue to identify opportunities for improvement in terms of equality within the organisation.

We have also carried out a study on the pay gap, the results of which show a 4.8% advantage for women, an indicator that demonstrates the centre’s commitment to an equitable remuneration policy.

Another important aspect is the presence of women in positions of responsibility. Currently, 67% of leadership positions at NEIKER are held by women, consolidating the prominent representation of women in our decision-making processes.

Equality is also reflected in the centre’s scientific and transfer activities. In 2025, 50% of the participants in the transfer conferences organised by NEIKER were women. Looking solely at the presentations given by the NEIKER team, 72% were given by women compared to 28% by men, highlighting the leading role played by our female researchers.At the institutional level, the Equality Negotiating Committee has actively participated in various forums for exchange and learning, such as the BAI SAREA conference, a network of collaborating entities for equality promoted by Emakunde, as well as the European Week of Advanced Management.

Throughout the year, NEIKER has also continued to support various events linked to the promotion of equality, such as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), International Women’s Day (8 March), International Day of Rural Women (15 October) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November).

Among the most recent actions, we would highlight the update of NEIKER’s Protocol for the prevention of and action against sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, harassment based on sexual orientation and harassment based on gender identity and expression. This update also incorporates this risk into the organisation’s psychosocial risk assessment, thus reinforcing its commitment to creating a safe working environment free from violence against women.

With these initiatives, we continue to make progress in consolidating a more egalitarian organisation, convinced that diversity and equal opportunities are key elements in promoting scientific excellence, innovation and sustainable development in the agri-food sector.

Recognition by Emakunde

All this collective effort has been recognised by Emakunde, which in 2023 awarded us the distinction of “Collaborating Entity in Equality between Women and Men”. To obtain this seal, companies must provide a diagnosis, a plan for equality and a protocol against sexual and gender-based harassment, as well as demonstrating a track record in equality.In addition to the involvement of individuals, NEIKER’s longstanding commitment to equality was another factor that led to the EMAKUNDE recognition. We are committed to a management model that incorporates equality as a strategic axis, and proof of this is that we have had equality policies in place since 2011 and that we produced our first diagnostic report focused on the analysis of quantitative data on the workforce at that time.