Great success for Leuphana gender equality concept
2024-03-12 Lüneburg/Bonn. Leuphana University Lüneburg has now been rewarded for its gender equality concept with inclusion in the Female Professors Program 2030. A total of 108 universities nationwide took part in the process. The program is the central instrument of the federal and state governments to promote gender equality at universities, with the Joint Science Conference (GWK) in charge. The funding provides financial support for gender equality efforts at selected universities.
The Lüneburg concept focuses on the promotion of female scientists and the further development of the scientific culture towards more equal opportunities and family friendliness. Inclusion in the program means nationwide recognition for the work of the Equal Opportunities Office and the Equal Opportunities Officer at Leuphana. Among other things, it is now possible to apply for funding for up to three new female professorships and to support gender equality work with further measures.
Although the proportion of female professors at universities has risen continuously from 19.9% to 27.2% between 2011 and 2021, there is still an urgent need for improvement in terms of gender parity. This is the result of an analysis by the GWK. At 36%, the rate at Leuphana is well above the national average. With the new equality concept, however, equal opportunities at Leuphana are now to be improved even further.
Specifically, the Lüneburg concept aims to achieve greater gender sensitivity in recruitment and appointment procedures, to strengthen gender equality work, particularly in the group of female academics during qualification, and to further develop gender-related monitoring and controlling. The proportion of female professors for permanent professorships is to be increased to 40 percent; in addition, more women are to be appointed to management positions in the faculties.
The selected universities have the prospect of financial resources to further improve the framework conditions for female academics. The funded professorships could now be financed by the federal and state governments for up to five years. This start-up funding amounts to up to 150,000 euros per appointment and year.
So far, Leuphana has successfully participated in all calls for applications for the Women Professors Program. The university has succeeded in continuously appointing women to professorships, enabling nine regular appointments and one interim professorship to be funded between 2010 and 2022.
Background:
In the current fourth phase of the Women Professors Program, which has been running since 2008, the federal and state governments are providing a total of 320 million euros until 2030 to increase the number of female professors in Germany and to strengthen gender equality structures at universities through specific measures. Lower Saxony has already enjoyed sabove-average success in the first three funding phases: of the 845 female professors funded to date, 110 are teaching and researching at universities in the state.