Gender Equality
The University of Ljubljana (UL) is preparing a document entitled Gender Equality Plan (GEP), a prerequisite for obtaining research funding from the Horizon Europe programmes. The purpose of the document is to create a strong gender equality policy, because at UL we believe that our success also depends on the extent to which we are able to involve all our employees in teaching and research and to attract new scientists without stereotypical ideas about the limits of abilities and skills based on gender or other personal circumstances (ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, etc.).
In accordance with the definition in the documents and principles of several institutions, in implementing the principle of gender equality the UL addresses gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men”.
At UL, we are committed to the principle of gender equality in our core documents by treating women and men equally, and we have adopted regulations that specifically address the issue of employment and the principle of gender equality. At UL, we have adopted regulations to make reconciliation of work and private or family life one of the most important conditions for promoting equal opportunities for women and men in society and for achieving equal economic independence, which leads to gender equality. We also provide training and education (Equal Opportunities and Talent Management, Managing Resistance to Change, etc.) to overcome common barriers.
In September 2021, UL appointed a group to develop a GEP for UL, which started work in October 2021.
Professional support to the group
Group activities and timeline
| Timeframe | Activity | Status |
|---|---|---|
| October 2021 | Constitutive meeting of the group and definition of the group’s terms of reference | √ |
| October 2021 | Overview of the status of GEPs at UL and other Slovenian universities and research institutions | √ |
| October 2021 | Familiarisation with the tools and guidance for the production of GEP, created by European Commission institutions or resulting from the work of H2020 research projects | √ |
| November 2021 | Development of the work plan and timeline | √ |
| November 2021 | A review of gender mainstreaming in selected prominent foreign universities and a comparative analysis of GEPs | √ |
| November 2021 | Surveys design for UL members’ management, UL employees and UL students | √ |
| December 2021 | Creation of online surveys (University Office for Quality Assurance, Analyses and Reporting UL) | √ |
| January 2022 | Publication of all three surveys (deadline for participation 7 February 2022) | √ |
| February 2022 | Survey data processing and analysis | √ |
| March 2022 | Drafting the GEP | √ |
| April 2022 | Public debate | √ |
| May 2022 | Final document | √ |
| June 2022 | Adoption at the UL Senate | √ |
The Beijing Platform for Action (Fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995) already states that gender balance and gender mainstreaming are key to achieving gender equality.
The European Institute for Gender Equality lists three objectives that the European Commission considers to be key to the successful implementation of gender equality in research and innovation:
- gender equality in science careers,
- ensuring gender balance within decision-making processes and bodies,
- integrating a gender perspective in the research and innovation context.
In implementing gender mainstreaming, we take into account the following regulations:
- Protection against Discrimination Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 33/16 and 21/18 – ZNOrg)
- Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 59/02, 61/07 – ZUNEO-A, 33/16 – ZVarD and 59/19)
- Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015-2020 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No 84/15)
- Resolution on the National Research and Development Programme 2011-2020 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No 43/11)
In implementing gender mainstreaming, we take into account the guidelines of the European Commission, the guidelines of the European Institute for Gender Equality and other relevant documents and strategies.
Documents and Analyses
In July 2020, UL completed the celebration of its first 100 years of existence. The post- jubilee period also coincides with the period of preparation of new strategies and institutional and programme reviews/evaluations, when it is also necessary to review past practices and the implementation of expiring strategic documents or their action plans.
Gender mainstreaming, which has been in the UL’s consciousness – including at institutional level – for a long time, is also an example of such a review. In this light, the following documents provide a brief overview of past institutional practice and highlight areas that would be particularly worth highlighting in the future.
Note: the documents below are currently being translated into English and are at this stage available only in Slovene.
UL is committed to an academic environment that is free from violence, sexual and other harassment and bullying. Therefore, any behaviour or conduct that violates a person’s dignity, interferes with a person’s personal rights and integrity, or creates an unsafe, intimidating, degrading or hostile environment is unacceptable. UL is committed to an active policy of creating and maintaining an academic environment in which the dignity of all persons, regardless of their personal circumstances, is respected.
The UL Senate and the UL Governing Board have adopted the Policy on Measures against Violence, Harassment and Bullying.
Note: the document below is currently being translated into English and is at this stage available only in Slovene.