SDU prepares a new plan for gender equality and inclusion efforts
SDU’s management has approved the quality assurance model for SDU's new Gender Equality Plan. This ensures a clear line with a managerial anchoring for the University’s equality efforts. Over the next few years, the work will be initiated so that it spreads across the entire university.
The University of Southern Denmark has adopted a plan for its efforts toward gender equality and inclusion, also called a Gender Equality Plan (GEP).
This concludes an extensive effort facilitated by SDU’s Gender Equality Team (GET) and the University’s central and local gender equality committees, which prior to the Executive Board’s stamp of approval have involved a number of councils and committees across SDU.
The entire process has garnered great praise from SDU’s management and Interim Rector Ole Skøtt, who has also chaired the Gender Equality Committee during the process.
Part of SDU's DNA
He is pleased that SDU has succeeded in working out an important plan. At the same time, he is looking forward to the upcoming work, where words are carried into effect and the plan is set in motion on campus.
– The plan has been approved after involving all parts of SDU, and this means that going forward, the work with gender equality will be better and more deeply rooted across the entire university. It’s been a long and professional process, and the University’s management are enthusiastic about it.
– Our hats are off to the GET team – not only for ensuring its work with gender equality and inclusion is set to become an integral part of SDU's DNA, says Ole Skøtt.
”The team is visible to the outside world and serves as a national knowledge base within this field
For staff members, the approval of SDU’s GEP means that they can now all expect that managers – heads of department and heads of division – have a solid responsibility to identify, launch and implement local initiatives that promote equality and inclusion.
This work will commence over the next year with 1 or 2 concrete initiatives per unit. All employees can contribute to and actively take part in these efforts. An important aspect in this regard is that students can also get involved in the work, both as actors and as a target group.
Centrally and across SDU
SDU’s Gender Equality Team is responsible for the introduction to the work, and they are already well underway. Eva Sophia Myers is Team Manager of the GET, and she guarantees the team will continue to provide competent feedback.
– We at GET assist the units in collaboration with the faculties’ gender equality committees. SDU’s central gender equality committee and SDU’s International Gender Advisory Board are also on board and follow the work closely.
– SDU’s GEP is in fact characterised by the very fact that the gender equality efforts will take place both centrally and across the University, she says.
Important for research support
In addition to the recently adopted plan being an important step in the work with gender equality and inclusion, it is also essential to be able to apply for EU research funding in the future.
The Horizon Europe research programme has thus introduced a requirement that a research institution must document its work with gender equality in order to be able to receive any EU funding for research. Other research funds are also expected to adopt a similar stance.
Thankfully, SDU’s researchers can rest assured they can tick that box when applying for research funding in the future.