Commission for Equal Opportunities

Leibniz University Hannover is committed to supporting the realisation of equal opportunities for women and men in the academic system. In its mission statement, it has pledged to promote the skills of women and men in all areas. Its primary goal in this respect is to increase the share of women working in areas in which they are under-represented. This includes both increasing the share of female professors as well as increasing the share of female staff members in the upper pay groups and salary scales.

On this basis, the Leibniz University Hannover Commission for Equal Opportunities develops proposals for the university management and the Senate regarding measures and actions that will enable the university to fulfil its obligation to promote equality (pursuant to the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act [NHG], section 3 paragraph 3). The focal areas are as follows:

Increasing the share of women in academic leadership positions
Career and human resources development for junior female researchers on the path to becoming professors
Ongoing expansion, development and promotion of family-friendly policies and opportunities
Diversity management for students and staff in teaching and research

With the equal opportunities concept titled “Offensive Gender & Diversity 2020” (2020 Gender and Diversity Initiative), three new equal opportunities goals were approved to supplement the existing and successful equal opportunities concept. These new goals are as follows:

Development of a tenure-track programme
Creation of an initiative for more women in upper-level management bodies
Implementation of a diversity management system

Responsibilities and duties

The Commission for Equal Opportunities has the following responsibilities:

Advising the central equal opportunities officers
Making recommendations for the election of the full-time central equal opportunities officer as well as the department officers for equal opportunities in the central facilities and the administration

With respect to the Leibniz University Hannover equal opportunities plan:

Contributing to the creation, updating and implementation of the equal opportunities plan as part of the development of the university development plan
Developing measures and actions as part of the equal opportunities plan
Developing proposals for award nominations within the programme to support junior female researchers on the path to becoming professors and the programme to support doctoral qualifications