What can I do as a dean?

As the person responsible for gender equality issues in the Dean's Office, you have an important key function in which you can influence various areas. You can find some suggestions here.

First steps

Familiarize yourself with the situation and structures in your Faculty. Initial sources of information can be the data from the gender equality monitoring and the corresponding chapter in the structure plan. What are the equality-relevant goals of your Faculty? What specific measures are derived from them and how is their implementation organized?
What other equality-relevant structures (such as decentralized Women's and Equality Officers, other officers, committees and commissions) exist in your Faculty and how are they networked?

Gender equality monitoring

Visibility

Despite their outstanding achievements, women* and other marginalized groups are often less visible in science. Statistically, they are less likely to be cited or invited to give lectures. To make female* scientists and their achievements more visible, you can, for example, place their research projects and publications prominently on the institute's website and nominate them for suitable prizes and awards.
To make external female* researchers more visible, you can invite them to lectures and discussion panels and thus also promote professional discourse within the discipline. In this way, you can also act as a role model for students and young academics in your Faculty.

Study program planning

Including gender and diversity studies can provide a valuable addition for research and teaching. Acquiring interdisciplinary skills in the area of (gender) diversity is also an important preparation for professional life. When planning and reaccrediting degree programs, it can therefore be useful to take this into account and integrate corresponding elements into study regulations.
The representation of female* students is often low, especially in the STEM disciplines. One way of taking countermeasures is to offer new subject specialisations that focus more strongly on the interests and preferences of female students (e.g. ‘Physics of Climate Change’).

Sensitization

(Gender) stereotypes and biases affect us all. To become aware of these biases and promote a gender- and diversity-sensitive way of working, members of the department should be encouraged and supported to take part in anti-bias training and other further training.
Use your department's equality funds for intersectional equality measures. Consult with the Equality Officers and the Equality Unit.

Representation and relief

Particularly in Faculties where women* are underrepresented, the participation of female* academics and other marginalized groups in decisions in the Faculty and gender parity in committee composition is an important instrument for achieving better decisions through diverse perspectives. Early involvement of Equality Officers in personnel procedures and structural decisions supports the department's gender equality work.
However, this also involves an above-average committee workload, especially for professors* and Equality Officers. It is therefore important to consider how the workload can be reduced.