Joint diagnostics in equality policies: Socio-Cultural and Governance Diversities in Universities in the Canary Islands and North West Africa

Abstract

In this article we present the complex framework of the CIMPI Network (Network for Inter-University Cooperation in Participatory Methodologies in Equality Policies), as a network of educational, research and intervention objectives aimed at creating common strengths to address the challenges of gender equality in universities. This network was launched in 2018, from the development of participatory methodologies in various socio-cultural contexts represented in public universities in the Canary Islands and in countries in northwest Africa. This scenario requires harmonising the research and intervention logics to be used and those of the collective construction processes for the consolidation and action of the Network. With the experience briefly described here, we intend to conclude that an analysis centred on cultural diversity, socio-territorial inequality and the different approaches to university governance entails specific challenges that confront theory and praxis. The objective, eminently practical, is to contribute to revealing and reconsidering the strengths of cooperative academic work, with criteria adjusted to the realities and needs of each context in the field of higher education.

Our analysis is based on the experience and results of two research-action processes that have contributed to the configuration of the CIMPI Network. This network was created and expanded over the last six years thanks to the support of two projects: Canary Islands-Africa Interuniversity Cooperation Networks: research, innovation and evaluation from collaborative methodologies in equality policies (CIMPI, ProID2017010133, 2018-2021) and Challenges from innovation and transfer in equality policies: University-Society Networks between the Canary Islands-Africa (INTRAPI, ProID202101010150, 2021-2023), both funded by the Government of the Canary Islands. 

This article presents the components of the Network, as well as the methodology and the various research and educational intervention activities carried out. The introduction especially emphasizes that the original purpose of its creation was to support the equality policies that could be developed by each higher education center in its academic and social environment. For this, we necessarily rely on the collaborative methodology, which is the one that makes feasible the joint and consensual design of common and specific goals, as well as the necessary instruments to achieve them.

This methodology, based on the Human Rights approach with a gender perspective, has entailed challenges and achievements that bring an innovative character to the experience. Firstly, because different characteristics, resources and forms of action converge; secondly, because they have an impact on a remarkable variety of rhythms, processes and results of the equality policies generated, on which we offer reflections in these lines.