Committee on Advancing Equity and Anti-Discrimination (CAEA)

The Committee on Advancing Equity and Anti-Discrimination (CAEA) reflects the GYA’s commitment to combating systemic bias in all its forms—including race, caste, gender, sexuality, culture, age, disability, and socioeconomic status—through research, advocacy, and institutional change.

The Committee identifies and promotes evidence-based best practices to address discrimination within academia and scientific ecosystems, both within the GYA and through partnerships with organizations around the world. The committee works with the GYA Office and other committees/workgroups to advance the goal of CAEA.

Building on the GYA’s 2020 Anti-Discrimination Statement, the Committee conducts and supports research, workshops and programmes on barriers to equity in science, such as bias in peer review, funding disparities, and exclusionary institutional policies. It advances equitable access by developing inclusive mentorship programs, advocating for underrepresented voices in global science leadership, and creating resources to foster safe and respectful academic environments. Aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly Goals 4, 5, and 10) and UNESCO’s global recommendations, we aim to advance with international standards to transform research ecosystems.

The Committee also works with the GYA Office to advance diversity in GYA membership and scientific collaborations, while engaging early-career researchers to shape solutions. By addressing systemic inequities in both individual behaviors and institutional structures, the Committee upholds fundamental human rights, dignity, and equal opportunity for all in science.

This Committee grew out of the GYA’s Working Group on Addressing Systemic Discrimination, which ran from 2020-2025 and produced or contributed to a number of relevant documents and statements, such as for example the GYA Code of Conduct in 2022.