Gender equality plan
As of January 1st 2022, the university is required to have a gender equality plan (GEP), and having one in place is a criteria for the university to apply for and receive funding via Horizon Europe. This requirement applies to all higher education institutions. Örebro University’s GEP is integrated in the university’s Orientation and action plan for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities efforts at Örebro University for 2023–2025.
Mandatory GEP requirements:
- Documents approved by top-level management
- Resources with gender equality expertise
- Statistics broken down by gender
- Training on gender bias
Recommended content:
- Work-life balance
- Gender balance in leadership
- Gender balance in career opportunities
- Gender equality and gender in education and research
- Measures against violence and sexual harassment
GEP criteria
The following four criteria for a GEP are mandatory: a formal document adopted by university management and published on the university’s website; specifically allocated resources with gender equality expertise to support the organisation in implementing the plan; gender-disaggregated statistics; and training on gender equality and gender bias for management and staff.
Recommended areas of work
It is recommended the GEP addresses the following five areas: work-life balance and organisational culture, gender balance in leadership and decision-making, gender balance in recruitment and career opportunities, integration of gender equality and a gender perspective in education and research, and action against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment.
Örebro University meets all four requirements above based on how its work with gender equality and equal opportunities is organised. The university also meets the recommendations with its overarching goals for work on gender equality and equal opportunities which are described in Orientation and action plan for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities efforts at Örebro University for 2023-2025.
Accommodating perspectives and integrating the GEP
Örebro University aims at avoiding what is knows as ‘negative perspective crowding’ and at encouraging accommodation of various perspectives. In practice, this means coordinating the various perspectives that the university is required to integrate into all parts of its organisation. The document Orientation and action plan for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities efforts at Örebro University for 2023–2025 therefore includes a number of policy areas. The document, which is the university’s GEP, discusses the university’s work on equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming, along with efforts within related fields such as accessibility and widening participation.
