Gender Equality in Academia and Research

Structures to support gender equality work

Dedicated organisational arrangements tasked with gender equality work (unit, office, network, service, etc.).

• GenderNet 
• Gender Balance Committee 
• Gender and Diversity Controlling 
• Gender Project Manager
• WiSER (Centre for Women in Science and Engineering Research)

Awareness-raising and competence development

Generating sensitivity for gender (in-)equality and developing competence to engage with gender equality issues.

• Compulsory awareness-raising session for B.A. students
• A practice to award and ensure greater visibility for women researchers
• School of drafting and management for European projects
• Gender Sensitive PhD Supervisor Toolkit
• Overcoming bias in personnel selection procedures
• Gender certification: a road to change?

Engaging stakeholders

Building alliances and bringing on board stakeholders to engage in partnerships for gender equality work.

• National connections at Fraunhofer Gesellschaft: the National Committee 

Organisational culture and work-life balance

The organisational culture and work-life balance are key factors that contribute to creating an enabling environment for both women and men to have fulfilling careers in the research sector.

• Teaching-free period when returning from parental leave
• Family-leave without consequences for the academic career
• Maternity Cover Fund and Return to Work policy

Recruitment, selection and career progression support

Recruitment, selection and career progression support measures aim at ensuring that women and men get equal chances to develop and advance their scientific careers.  

• Women represented in all rounds of applications 
• Age limit extension in calls for female researchers with children under 10
• Stimulating personal development to improve women academics’ positions
• Participatory approach towards a Career Development Plan 
• Cascade Model at Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (GFZ)
• High-profile tenure-track positions for top female scientists

Leadership and decision-making

The leadership of the institution and its decision-making bodies need to be gender balanced for the organisation to truly live up to its values. Decision-making itself has to be gender-sensitive.

• Election procedure for the Board 
• Gender-integrated Leadership Programme (AKKA)
• Elections for the University's Council 

Combatting sexual and gender-based harassment

The fields of research and higher education are not immune to sexual and gender-based harassment. Actions are needed to put an end to this behaviour.

• Protocol for preventing and tackling sexual harassment and gender-based violence

Integrating gender in research and education content

Making research and education gender-sensitive by integrating the gender dimension and eliminating gender bias.

• Gender lectureship: a model for mainstreaming in higher education 

Analytical measures, targets, indicators, monitoring and evaluation

Collecting, assessing, reviewing, analysing numbers, data, procedures and practices, to enable optimal planning and implementation of gender equality work.

• A survey to know your institution
• Gender Equality Report: Monitoring progress towards gender equality in the university
• Gender Report

Incentives to promote gender equality

Inciting actors to integrate gender equality in their work by rewarding good initiatives.

• Encouraging gender equality activities at the grassroots level across the university
• Introducing a gender perspective in research content and teaching