Much is being said about alleged harassment, which until now has been silenced by a cruel Omertá, and about the responsibility of the universities. However, the silence on the responsibility of the ICREA programme, which has a much higher proportion of those reported to it than the universities, is alarming. The majority of ICREA research staff, like the majority of university teaching staff, are not harassers, but a university is called to account when a case breaks out.
When there is an aircraft accident, all the technical and human factors that could have influenced it are analysed and, if necessary, appropriate changes are made to all similar aircraft or sometimes even their withdrawal. ICREA is seeing several of its members being denounced and has said nothing and is not being held accountable so far.
ICREA aims to incorporate important personalities into the Catalan research system, and this is indeed happening in some cases, thus benefiting Catalan science and society. However, a certain consideration that they are above good and evil leads some to have an attitude of feeling beyond the norms of universities and the international scientific community. In the case of gender relations, it is alarming that a programme that considers itself to be of such a high scientific level does not ask for advice or training from Catalan researchers who are at the top of the international scientific rankings in the world in gender violence.
Prestige is sold and ridicule is made. No matter how much Omertá is applied, this alarming proportion of denunciations and invisibilisation of women scientists in a programme that considers itself to be of a high scientific level ends up being like a boomerang that, in an attempt to gain worldwide prestige, in reality makes a fool of itself in the international scientific community and will do so much more if it does not change soon and at its roots.
Coordinadora del Metoo University