Equality of opportunity at Saarland University

Gleichstellungsplan der UdS

Saarland University's Gender Equality Office is committed to achieving the goals set out in Saarland’s Equal Opportunity Act by creating and sustaining a university culture that embraces gender equity.

To achieve these goals, the university has set out binding rules and targets in its gender equality plan, which includes measures designed to tackle structural inequality and regulations covering staff training and development. The university's gender equality plan also provides an effective tool for gender-equitable career pathways and life-stage-appropriate career development. It also addresses work-life interface issues, such as family and care responsibilities. The Equal Opportunities Office develops programmes specifically designed to eliminate the under-representation of women in all areas of the university. Our programmes include supporting and fostering the professional development of young female academics working towards advanced academic qualifications, boosting the numbers of female students in STEM subjects and driving the recruitment of outstanding female professors, team leaders and trainees. We also develop forward-focused concepts and action plans that facilitate the integration of gender-, diversity- and equality-awareness in research, teaching and learning at Saarland University.

The staff at the Gender Equality Office offer advice, guidance and support to female members of the university and to the LGBTQIA* community on issues relating to their professional activities or studies (funding opportunities, career planning, maternal leave, sexual harassment and assault).

 
Principal Gender Equality Officer at Saarland University

Dr. Sybille Jung

As the university's gender equality officer, Sybille Jung works with a broad range of actors and stakeholders to promote and facilitate gender equity at Saarland University. She is also a trained mediator who can act on behalf of members of the university as required. Sybille Jung is the university contact for campus safety issues (AG Sicherheit – campus safety working group) and she and her team organize self-defence courses and violence prevention workshops in cooperation with the University Sports Center. In September 2021, she was re-elected to the executive board of the Federal Association of Women's Representatives and Gender Equality Officers in higher education – bukof.

Saarland University's principal Gender Equality Officer and the Gender Equality Office

The gender equality officer and her team provide advice and support to all women at Saarland University (students, administrative and technical staff, academic staff) and actively work to promote gender equity and the gender-inclusive development of the university. Promoting equal rights for women and men is an important policy element that spans all aspects of university life. Gender equality is a fundamental right under Germany's Basic Law and has been an integral part of the Saarland University Act (now: Saarland Higher Education Institutions Act) since 1999.

Core areas managed by the gender equality officer:

  • Implementation of the university's gender equality plan
  • Monitoring of recruitment practices and professorial appointment procedures
  • Gender-neutral language
  • Support services for women researchers and lecturers (Gender and Diversity Quality Circle)
  • Networking opportunities for female members of staff
  • Cooperation with other initiatives that advance gender equality and women's empowerment (Gender Research Forum, women's representatives in the principal state-level administrative agencies and regional authorities, regional rape crisis centre, Saarland's specialist library for women's and gender-related issues)
  • Analysis and dissemination of the latest developments in higher education policy of relevance to gender equality
  • Encouraging girls and young women to study science and engineering subjects (Coordinating office for gender equality in STEM subjects)
  • Support and guidance for women students and early-career academics (coaching, mentoring, excellence programme for early-career researchers)
  • Cooperation with the Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues
  • Gender consulting service and guidelines for collaborative project proposals
  • LGBTQIA* issues, including discrimination and unfair treatment; general information on the other support services available.
The Gender Equality Office at Saarland University

The gender equality officer and her team offer advice, guidance and support on all relevant issues relating to working and studying at Saarland University (funding opportunities, balancing family and work commitments, discrimination) and would be pleased to discuss any such matters in a personal consultation session.
If you would like to arrange an appointment, please contact us at: gleichstellung(at)uni-saarland.de.

 

The university's gender equality plan

Saarland University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and equality of outcome on the basis of Saarland’s Equal Opportunity Act (LGG) in order to create and sustain a university culture that embraces gender justice.

To achieve these goals, the university has compiled a gender equality plan that sets out binding rules and targets. The gender equality plan contains measures designed to tackle structural inequality and regulations covering staff training and development. It also serves as an effective instrument that students and employees can use to address work-life interface issues, such as family and care responsibilities.

Current gender equality plan 2021  

 

Female professors at Saarland University