1
Gender Equality at European
Universities of Science and Technology
Results of the CESAER Gender Equality (GE)
Survey 2014
Manfred Horvat
CESAER, Senior Advisor
CESAER Task Force Human Resources
Dublin, 25 February 2015
2
Contents
• The CESAER Gender Equality Survey
• The state of gender equality: statistics
• Gender Equality Plan (GEP)
• Structures and measures supporting GE
• Implementing the GEP: activities
• Barriers
• Examples of best practice
• Universities‘ plans for next steps
• Summary, conclusions, recommendations
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Introducing the CESAER GE survey
• Survey launched on 11/01/2014 – 3 questions for identification
– 10 detailed questions • Organisational structure for GE
• GE plan, implementation and monitoring
• Initiatives and measures supporting GE
• Barriers
• Statistics: top management, academic staff, students, FP7
• Examples of best practice, institutional change, next steps
• 51 CESAER member institutions – 48 responses, which is 100% of institutional members
The state of GE: Statistics Top university management
14,43%15,71%
10,42%
30,00%
38,11%
22,73%
0,00%
5,00%
10,00%
15,00%
20,00%
25,00%
30,00%
35,00%
40,00%
45,00%
Department
Heads o.e.
Deans o.e. Vice-rectors
o.e.
Rectors o.e. Non-acad.
Magment 2
Non-acad.
Mgmt. 1
5 out of 48 universities are led by female rectors, presidents or equivalent
All leaders (N=4254)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Rectors Vice rectors Head ofadministration
Total
% of women in university leadership positions
% of women
The state of GE: Statistics Students, PhDs
32,37%
32,82%
33,42%
31,22%
30,00%
30,50%
31,00%
31,50%
32,00%
32,50%
33,00%
33,50%
34,00%
New entries BA grads MA grads PhD grads
Increase of proportion of women from new entries to Masters level
The state of GE: Statistics Students, PhDs
Category
Unis Students
Total
Students
Female
Students
Female %
New 28 125.505 40.624 32,37%
BA grad 25 60.117 19.733 32,82%
MS grad 27 39.259 13.121 33,42%
PhDs 29 10.137 3.165 31,22%
Increase of the proportion of women from new entries to Masters level
The state of GE: Statistics Academic staff
30,61% 30,68%
20,03%
23,76%
0,00%
5,00%
10,00%
15,00%
20,00%
25,00%
30,00%
35,00%
Other scientific staff Assistant Professors Associated professors Full Professors
From 30% women at start of career to 20% women full professors
The state of GE: Statistics Academic Staff
Category
Unis Acad. Staff
Total
Acad. Staff
Women
% Women
Other sci. 28 40.073 12.266 30,61%
Assist. Prof. 32 8.497 2.607 30,68%
Assoc. Prof. 30 8.652 2.056 23,76%
Full Prof. 36 12.836 2.571 20,03%
From 30% women at start of career to one 20% women full professors
The state of GE: Statistics Overview and conclusion
30,68%
20,03%
32,37% 32,82% 33,42%
31,22%30,61%
23,76%
0,00%
5,00%
10,00%
15,00%
20,00%
25,00%
30,00%
35,00%
40,00%
New entries BA grads MA grads PhD grads Other
scientific
staff
Assistant
Professors
Associated
professors
Full
Professors
Decrease of proportion of women: Masters level to level of Full professor
The state of GE: Statistics Women in FP7 actions
22,19%21,00%
12,60%
9,01%9,38%
18,18%
0,00%
5,00%
10,00%
15,00%
20,00%
25,00%
ERC Starting
grants
ERC
Consolidator
grants
ERC Advanced
grants
Marie Curie
outgoing fellows
Marie Curie
incoming
fellows
FP7
coordinators
Very low involvement of women in all FP7 activities, particularly ERC,
despite around 30% women from PhD to Assistant Professor.
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Gender Equality Plan (GEP)
Results from 48 responses:
26 universities have GEP, 18 have no GEP,
at 2 universities GE is integral part of general university strategy,
7 universities plan to develop a GEP, no info from 2 unis
Majority of CESEAR member institutions have a priority on GE
2
18
7
2
26
4,17%
14,58%
37,50%
4,17%
54,17%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
GE Plan GE integrated in
general strategy
No GE Plan GEP planned No information
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26 (54,17%) Universities have a GE Plan
AUSTRIA • TU Wien BELGIUM • Ghent University • KU Leuven DENMARK • Aalborg University FINLAND • Aalto University GERMANY • RWTH Aachen University • TU Berlin • TU Braunschweig • TU Darmstadt • TU Dresden • TU Ilmenau • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology • Leibniz Universität Hannover • TU Munich HUNGARY • Budapest University of Technology &
Economics
ISRAEL • Israel Institute of Technology ITALY • Politecnico di Torino THE NETHERLANDS • TU Delft • University of Twente NORWAY • Norwegian University of Science and
Technology SPAIN • UP Cataloniaa SWEDEN • Chalmers University of Technology • Lund University • KTH SWITZERLAND • ETH Zürich • EPFL
Implementation of GE Plan The implementation of the GEP needs follow-up
• Different measures and approaches for appraisal – Monitoring and evaluation
– Benchmarking
• Follow-up of the results of appraisals – Internal reporting to hierarchy
– Discussion in institutional boards, committees, etc.
– External reporting to regional and/or national government or funding agency
• Supporting the implementation of the GEP – Gender budgeting
– Internal communication
– Training, manuals, guidelines
Implementation of GE Plan The implementation of the GEP needs follow-up
2
2
13
12
2
6
15
9
7,14%
7,14%
32,14%
46,43%
42,86%
7,14%
21,43%
53,57%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Supporting measures: Internal Communication,
training, manual
Supporting measures: Gender budgeting
External reporting to regional and/or national
government or funding agency
Discussion in institutional boards, committees, etc.
Internal reporting
Benchmarking
Evaluation
Monitoring
Number of universities % of universities
Institutional structures & provisions for GE Organisational structures at universities
11
7
1
4
16
15
22,92%
14,58%
2,08%
8,33%
33,33%
31,25%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Other ways of supporting GE
No unit or person dealing with GE
One person dealing part-time with GE
One person dealing full-time with GE
GE part of other responsibilities
of a unit
Special unit for GE
Number of universities % of universities
CESEAR member institutions follow different approaches towards for
organising the implementation of gender equality measures.
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Institutional structures & provisions for GE 1 Other provisions
• Personal responsibility for GE: – Rector/President, Vice-Rector, Board of Governors
– Gender commissioner
– Administrative director
– Deans and department heads
• Committees for GE and diversity – GE Committee for students, for academic staff
– GE Steering Group chaired by President
– Employee Representation Office, also for complaints
– Ambassadors Network: GE
• Germany: DFG’s research-oriented standards of GE applied by all universities and the Excellence Initiative
Institutional structures & provisions for GE 2
GE in appointment committees
• Specified requirements: 27 unis YES, 16 NO
• Requirements reg. numbers, quota at 21 unis – At six universities a minimum number of 2 female members are
required,
– At one university, the minimum composition of a committee is
1 woman and 1 man,
– Five universities require a quota of one third women,
– Eight universities require a quota of 40% women, and
– At one university, the required quota is 50%.
• At 29 of universities (out of 42) gender competence is
provided for appointment committees
Assessing the implementation of the GEP 28 universities reported specific approaches
2
2
13
12
2
6
15
9
7,14%
7,14%
32,14%
46,43%
42,86%
7,14%
21,43%
53,57%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Supporting measures: Internal Communication,
training, manual
Supporting measures: Gender budgeting
External reporting to regional and/or national
government or funding agency
Discussion in institutional boards, committees, etc.
Internal reporting
Benchmarking
Evaluation
Monitoring
Number of universities % of universities
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Assessing the GEP implementation 28 universities reported specific approaches
• Annual or bi-annual GE reports – Monitoring student and staff data, talent to the top
– Female/male members in boards etc.
– Wages, sick leaves, number of harassment
– Measuring the leaking pipeline
– Annual budget for GE actions
– Annual gender balance
• Equal Opportunities Commission, working groups
• Dedicated staff for GE management and for monitoring
• Training for committee members, leaders, etc.
• Equal opportunities web, communication activities
• Gender equality surveys, interviews
• Defining indicators, KPIs, goals and numerical targets
• Internal evaluation of initiatives and programmes, external evaluation of general strategy implementation
Implementing the GE Plan: Activities 48 universities provided information
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23
11
14
23
14
18
16
20
29
22,92%
29,17%
47,92%
47,92%
72,92%
29,17%
37,50%
33,33%
41,67%
60,42%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
10. Other
9. Guidelines of best practices disseminated within your organisation
8. Networking opportunities for female researchers
7. Development of gender competence at your university
6. Work-life-balance measures
5. Breaks, gender aware mobility conditions
4. Flexible career trajectory
3. Measures, including quotas, to ensure a balanced composition of
females and males in your organisation's committees
2. Specific recruitment and promotion policies for female researchers
1. Specific measures and/or programmes for attracting female
students to engineering studies
Number of universities % of universities
Development of gender competence 21 universities reported specific activities
• Involving the top-management – Advice to the top university management
– Women in top positions
– Bi-annual Women Rectors Conference
• Training, mentoring, coaching – Training for university leadership and middle management
– Training for lower levels of university staff
– Diversity training for students, assertiveness course
– Mentoring programmes for young researchers
– Coaching for female professors
– Training also for target groups outside the university
• Appointment, performance assessment, promotion – Guidelines for appointment procedures
– Implementation of gender aspects in appraisal interviews
– Gender aspects in appraisal, and payment
– Advice for women faculty on promotion and tenure
– Dedicated tenure track positions
• Awareness building, supporting activities – Communication, Public Relations,
– Interviews with women researchers published on uni web
– Brainstorming and focus groups
– Networking among female researchers
– Guidelines and special provisions for gender equality
• Specific programmes, grants, and awards
Development of gender competence 21 universities reported specific activities
10
2
3
3
11
7
12
5
1
37,04%
7,41%
11,11%
11,11%
40,74%
25,93%
44,44%
18,52%
3,70%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Specific programmes, grants, and awards for the
promotion of gender equality
Guidelines and special provision for gender equality
Communication, Public relations, specific measures for
attracting girls to engineering studies, etc.
Networking
Mentoring and coaching
Training for lower levels of university staff and also
for target groups outside the university
Training for university leadership and middle
management
Gender aspects in appointments, appraisal and
payment
Advice to the top university management
Number of universities % of universities
Barriers Achieving Gender Equality is still a challenge
7
11
9
4
1
5 9
6
7
3
811
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Regulations or policies at
national or regional level not
specifically supportive
Employment and/or labour law
or policy at national orto take
action regional level do not
allow
Lack of resources for
implementing gender equality
in S&T
Internal resistance against
implementing measures
supporting gender equality
Other barriers
Other barriers Not important Somewhat important Important
Major barriers: Internal resistance lack of funding and resources!
18 universities reported facing barriers, 24 universities: no barriers
Best practice, results of self-assessment Universities reported three activities each
7
13
6
13
8
5
9
1
4
21,88%
40,63%
18,75%
40,63%
25,00%
15,63%
28,13%
3,13%
12,50%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Promoting gender awareness, changing the
institutional culture, measures against sexual
harassment and discrimination
Support for maternity leave and return to work, family
friendly services
Programmes for attracting women professors, tenure
track schemes for women, definite goals for women
faculty
Programmes supporting female PhDs and yound
researchers
Programmes for attracting girls to STEM and MINT
studies
Gender budgeting, gender equality controlling and/or
monitoring
Institutional strategies, goals and structures for the
support of gender equality
Women in leadership positions
Gender equality as a priority of the university
leadership, balanced representation and gender
awareness in committees, boards, etc.
Best practice, results of self-assessment 1 Overview
• GE as a priority of the university leadership, balanced representation and gender awareness in committees, boards, etc.
• Women in leadership positions
• Institutional strategies, goals and structures for the support of GE
• Gender budgeting, GE controlling and monitoring
• Programmes for attracting girls to STEM and MINT studies
• Programmes supporting female PhDs and young researchers
• Programmes for attracting women professors, tenure track schemes for women, goals for proportion of women faculty
• Measures against sexual harassment and discrimination, Supporting maternity leave & return to work, family friendly university, work-life balance
• Promoting gender awareness, changing the institutional culture
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Best practice, results of self-assessment 2 Targeted programmes
• Attracting girls to engineering and technology – TU Wien: FiT Women into technology, TechNIKE – TU Budapest: Holky Pozor campaign, Girls’ Day
• Support for women in engineering & technology – TU Wien: WIT Women in Technology – Leibniz University Hannover: Caroline Herschel Programme – TU Darmstadt: Franziska Braun Award – TU Berlin: Female scientists to the top – TU Dresden: Eleonore-Trefftz guest professorship programme – TU Dresden: Marie-Reiche young female scientists programme – TU Munich: Liesel Beckmann Distinguished Professors – TU Delft: DEWIS Women in Science,Young Delft, DEWIS Award – TU Eindhoven: Talent to the Top – U Twente: UTWIST – tenure track positions for women only – TU Istanbul: Women studies Centre
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Best practice, results of self-assessment 3
Dedicated measures: some examples
Women in the institutional hierarchy and decision making bodies
• In general: ownership of gender issue by the leadership
• Women in top leadership
• Vice-rector for Gender and Diversity; Gender equality in boards, committees
• Leading professor as trained GE vanguard in appointment committees
• Interviews of female role models on the university website or in the newsletter
Institutional policies, plans and strategies
• Set feasible targets and monitor them e.g.: 30% share of women in Excellence Initiative, Law for men/women balance of 60%/40%
• Solidarity fund compensating for maternal leave, re-entry grants
• Special employment terms for graduate students and women faculty who give birth
• Flexible career trajectories
Institutional services
• Gender desk at Personnel Office
• Specific service centres for gender equality
• Kindergarten, babies nursery, family service
Measures supporting gender equality
• Non-discrimination language against women, non-sexist language manual
• Monitoring of possible discrimination issues
• Gender perspective in the prevention of occupational risks
Impacts of strategies, plans and activities Different forms of change - Overview
2
5
6
2
5
8
5
9
4
4
6,90%
17,24%
20,69%
31,03%
6,90%
17,24%
27,59%
13,79%
17,24%
13,79%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Gender equality performance as criterion in
university rankings
Planning, monitoring, evaluating, benchmarking
Targeted measures support institutional change
There are also changes in quantitative terms
The working environment is improving
Institutional cultures are changing
Gender awareness is increasing
Dedicated institutional structures supporting
gender equality are established
Women get more visibility
The top institutional level takes responsibility for
gender equality
Number of universities % of universities
Impacts of strategies, plans and activities 1
Different forms of change
• The top institutional level takes responsibility for gender equality
• Women get more visibility
• Dedicated institutional structures supporting gender equality are established
• Gender awareness is increasing
• Institutional cultures are changing
• The working environment is improving
• There are also changes in quantative terms
• Specific programmes for gender equality show positive impacts
• Targeted measures support institutional change
• Planning, monitoring, evaluating, benchmarking
• Gender equality performance as a criterion in university rankings
Impacts of strategies, plans and activities 2 Different forms of change
• More visibility of women in top positions: female rectors, vice-rectors, deans!
• Female role models attract and inspire female students
• Acceptance at top and executive levels, that gender diversity structurally needs conscious attention
• Increased gender awareness, GE as a topic and an issue
• Work of Gender Equality Officers accepted
• Changing a masculinised university
• Recognizing the stereotypes and moving past them
• Identifying and overcoming sexism
• Positive influence on scientific culture at institutional and personal level, more women bring a different perspective
• General acceptance that gender diversity contributes to innovation, better decision making and better business results
Impacts of strategies, plans and activities 4 Quantative change: Examples of good practice
• EPFL: Increase of %ages of women from 2002 to 2012:
– Bachelor 23% to 27%
– Master 17.5% to 26.5%
– PhD 23% to 29%
– Sci. Personal 19,5% to 25.5%
– Tenure-track assistant professor 6% to 27%
– Associate and full professors 4.6% to 7%,
– School Deans 0% to 40%
• KTH: increase in the number of female faculty from 2006 to 2012:
– Associated professors from 13% to 22%
– Professors: from 6,6% to 11%
• ETH Zurich and TU Berlin:
– Number of women increased in different status groups
• University of Twente:
– Significant increase of number of women at top and sub-top level
Even if the numbers are still low, there a positive trend!
Next steps 30 universities replied and provided information
• Develop Gender Equality Plans and preparatory
activities
• Respect national law…
• Implement plans and targeted actions
• Stabilising implementation of policies
• Implementing specific measures:
– Support for maternal leave
– Recruitment
– Implement European and other projects and initiatives
• General awareness and support for gender issues
Next steps 30 universities replied and provided information
4
3
2
1
7
5
8
13,33%
10,00%
6,67%
3,33%
23,33%
16,67%
26,67%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
General awareness and support for gender issues
Specific measures: implement European and
projects and initiatives
Specific measures: recruitment
Specific measures: support for maternal leave
Stabilising implementation of policies
Implement plans and targeted actions
Develop Gender Euqality Plan and preparatory
activities
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Next steps 30 replies – some specific examples
• Action plans together with schools, STEM education for girls! Raising awareness!
• Raising institutional awareness on the role of women in academia, training
• Refining curricula and making them more attractive for female students
• Setting quantitative targets.
– RWTH Aachen University: 20% female professor by 2020
– TU Munich: 25% female professors by 2025
• Follow advanced concept for diversity management implemented with mixed teams
• Benchmarking of prospects of women in academia
• Towards raising numbers of women in scientific staff:
– Improving recruitment: active sourcing
– Female tutors, teaching assistants, post docs, assistant professors
– Identifying main leaks in the career pipeline
• Specific tenure track programmes
• Networking opportunities for female researchers, female professors’ programme
• Support maternity leave, childcare, childcare subsidies, social employer’s contribution
• Monitoring, assessing and updating GEP, Annual gender reporting
Conclusions 1 10 elements of institutional strategies for GE
1. Institutional leadership
2. Gender competence
3. Gender sensitive recruitment and promotion
4. Attracting and retaining women
5. Mentoring, coaching, mutual learning and
empowerment
Conclusions 2 10 elements of institutional strategies for GE
6. Family-friendly universities supporting work-life
balance
7. Internal guidelines, manuals and special
provision
8. Programmes, grants and awards as well as
standards for promoting gender equality
9. Communication supporting cultural change
10.Following-up on the implementationand impact
of the implementation of GEP
Recommendations for CESAER Follow-up of the survey
• Repeating the survey regularly, e.g. every two years
• Mutual learning, exchange of information and experiences, Joint activities of the CESAER community of GE practitioners, e.g.
– Developing a common understanding of GE
– Leadership taking the lead creating ownership
– Gender action planning, effective GE initiatives
– Monitoring and evaluation, benchmarking, performance indicators
– Attracting & retaining women in studies & careers
– Identifying barriers and finding ways to overcome them
– Awareness initiatives, appropriate recruitment and appointment, support and promotion, tenure track
– Staff exchange and mutual visits to get insight on practices
• Gender dimension in education and research
• Horizon 2020: opportunities and preparing applications
Forming a CESAER Gender Equality Working Group
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Thank you for your attention!
The CESAER GE Survey Team:
Manfred Horvat, CESAER Senior Advisor
Nina Hein, Project Manager, TU Wien
Lieve Coninx, CESAER Liaison Officer
Anna Steiger, Vice-Rector HR and Gender, TU Wien
We will welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement:
Please send emails to
Synthesis of the Gender Equality Plans 1 See Part 2 of the CESAER GE Report
• Approach taken developing the report
– Analysing the reports and extracting activities
– Categorising and grouping the activities
– Developing the structure of the report
• Extracting examples from different universities
– Preparing a synthesis based on “real world”
• First step based on 15 GEPs in German and English
• Second step (in progress): translating GEPs from Dutch,
French and Swedish and integrating relevant additional
examples in the report
Synthesis of the Gender Equality Plans 2 Part 2 of the CESAER GE Report, contents
• Strategic goal “Gender Equality”
• Creating awareness – promoting GE
• Integrating gender dimension in education and research
– raising the proportion of women
• Institutional establishment of Gender Equality
• Designing a future for female engineers
• Quality management – evaluation, KPIs
• General conclusions
• Conclusions and recommendations for structural change