For thirty years, Bielefeld University has been making history in the area of gender equality, fully recognising the wider social significance of its statutory mandate to achieve gender-equality. Gender equity is a prerequisite for a research and work culture that meets the highest quality standards. Today, Bielefeld University is placed among the top higher-education institutions in the German-wide gender equality rankings. For three consecutive years the DFG has rated the University as “particularly successful” and awarded it the distinction of “excellence in gender equality” in the context of its Female Professors Programme, thus recognising it as role model in Germany. Since 2008, it has regularly been awarded the Total-E-Quality rating. Gender equality is and remains one of the University’s most important strategic goals. In the last 10 years alone, the University has integrated more that 400 sustainable measures into its organisational structures and processes in order to tackle gender-equality. The implementation of these measures across the University is regarded as a collective endeavour. In particular, staff with leadership roles in research and administration are expected to take responsibility to achieve this. Gender-equality representatives are also actively engaged, both at central and decentralised levels
The University has adopted a gender-mainstreaming approach in order to systematically involve all University members and status groups, thus ensuring that its aspiration for gender-equality which is enshrined in its mission statement becomes part of the culture: To make gender equality a reality, not only statically but also in structures and processes as well as to integrate gender aspects into research and teaching. Our Equality and Gender Portal is an invitation to all members of the University to learn about our aspirations, goals and measures and to play their part in ensuring that Bielefeld University continues its success story of gender equality.
Three layers of gender-equality
Legislation and self-initiated objectives
Impressive proportion of women in national comparison
Inspiration for practicing gender equality in daily life
Gender knowledge is essential for cultural change
Guaranteed funds, guaranteed opportunities