Partners and networks
The Equal Opportunities Office works with many stakeholders to achieve greater gender equality. The team is well networked both within TU Dortmund University and externally.
At the TU Dortmund University
The topic of gender equality is explicitly one of the tasks of numerous stakeholders at TU Dortmund University. They all work closely with the central Equal Opportunities Officer, supporting and advising her.
TU Dortmund University focuses on equal opportunities and diversity at all levels of action. In 2020, the Rector founded the Working Group Diversity , which is now chaired by Vice President Prof. Petra Wiederkehr. Representatives of the AStA, the Equal Opportunities, Family and Diversity Office, the Central Equal Opportunities Officer, the International Office, DoBuS, the Central Student Advisory Service, the Center for Higher Education and academics from across TU Dortmund University who focus on the topic of diversity from the perspective of a wide range of disciplines are represented in the working group. Among other things, the working group deals with regulations on the compatibility of family and career, networking opportunities for scientists at TU Dortmund University, the adaptation of structural conditions on campus in terms of inclusion and accessibility as well as gender-equitable language in everyday working life at TU Dortmund University.
TU Dortmund University recommendations on gender-equitable language (in German)
Contact
Chair: Prof. Manfred Bayer, Rector
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Management: Sandra Czaja, Advisor to the Rectorate
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The Equal Opportunities Officers of the departments (and institutions) represent the central Equal Opportunities Officer of TU Dortmund University in the specific concerns of the respective department and support her in the performance of her duties. Their role is described in TU Dortmund University's Basic Regulations (in German) (§ 8, para. 3).
A particularly important task is the representation of the central Equal Opportunities Officer in appointment committees of the departments. The NRW Higher Education Act (in German) states: "The Equal Opportunities Officer of the faculty works towards the inclusion of equality-relevant aspects in the fulfillment of the faculty's tasks. She may participate in meetings of the faculty councils and appointment committees and other faculty bodies on behalf of the central Equal Opportunities Officer." (HG NRW § 24, para. 3)
In addition, the decentralized equal opportunities officers are the contact persons for equal opportunities issues in their departments. They are informed by their departments about all relevant matters and are invited to all committees. There they have the right to propose motions and speak.
The election of the decentralized Equal Opportunities Officers and their representatives is regulated in the faculty regulations. Their term of office is two years. Re-election is possible.
Contact details
You can find the contact details of all decentralized Equal Opportunities Officers on the page "Equality in the departments and institutions".
The NRW Higher Education Act (in German) provides for the establishment of an Equal Opportunities Commission, which advises and supports both the university and the Central Equal Opportunities Officer in their equal opportunities policy tasks (§ 24 para. 4). The core tasks of the Equal Opportunities Commission are regulated in the TU Dortmund University's Basic Regulations (in German) (§ 7 para. 2).
The Equal Opportunities Commission is set up as a permanent Senate Commission and is composed of equal numbers of members from different groups. Two members and their representatives from each university group (professors, academic staff, technical and administrative staff and students in accordance with Section 11 (1) HG) are to be elected by the senators of the respective group. The terms of office are four years for technical and administrative staff, two years for professors and academic staff and one year for students. The Central Equal Opportunities Officer and her advisors/deputies are members of the Equal Opportunities Commission with the right to propose motions and speak. Only elected members have the right to vote.
Members of the Equal Opportunities Commission
The Equal Opportunities Commission is an essential player in the process of developing and implementing the departments' equal opportunities concepts. The analyses prepared in the concepts and the planned measures to reduce gender disparities are reviewed by the commission and examined for their prospects of success. A positive vote by the Equal Opportunities Commission is required in addition to the opinions of the staff councils in order for the Senate to put a department's equal opportunities concept into effect.
Contact
Chair: Martina Stackelbeck, Central Equal Opportunities Officer
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Management: Elisabeth Brenker, Equal Opportunities Process Coordinator
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The Equal Opportunities, Family and Diversity Office (Stabsstelle Chancengleicheit Familie und Vielfalt) strengthens the culture of diversity at TU Dortmund University. It develops, implements and supports strategies, instruments and measures to improve equal opportunities and family friendliness.
Contact
Head: Dr. Ute Zimmermann
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External partners and networks
The Equal Opportunities Office team is also in close contact with regional and national equal opportunities stakeholders and is part of various networks in science, education, (university) politics, business and urban society.
In Dortmund and the surrounding area
The universities of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) are also well networked when it comes to gender equality. The central equal opportunities officers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and TU Dortmund University meet regularly with their central deputies to discuss current developments and projects.
With their work, the municipal Equal Opportunities Officer and her team contribute to the development of structures in the city administration, but also in the city of Dortmund, towards greater gender equality. The Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Dortmund networks and supports women's organizations, initiatives and associations and cooperates with various institutions. For example, it coordinates events in Dortmund such as International Women's Day on March 8 or Equal Pay Day.
At Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, gender equality work is networked across all areas of the university. The aim is to ensure that equality is consciously practiced at all levels.
The Dortmunder Forum Frau und Wirtschaft e. V. is committed to increasing the proportion of women in qualified positions and at management level. It participates in campaigns to reduce the gender pay gap and to promote living wage employment for women. The dffw supports regional and municipal gender equality initiatives and networks with other organizations that promote gender equality. Interested women and men who would like to get involved in workplace equality issues in Dortmund will find a wide range of opportunities at the dffw to obtain information and network with others.
The team at the Westphalian Ruhr Area Women & Career Competence Centre (Kompetenzzentrum Frau & Beruf Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet) supports women, companies and institutions in the region with the aim of realizing equal career opportunities for women and sustainably strengthening working women in the regional economy. The competence center is run by the City of Dortmund's Economic Development Agency in conjunction with the Economic Development Agency for the District of Unna mbH.
The abbreviation zdi stands for "Future through Innovation" ("Zukunft durch Innovation") and is a joint initiative to promote young STEM talent in NRW. The zdi program is supported at state level by ministries (science, schools, business and employment) as well as partners from business, science and other areas; the Ministry of Science is in charge.
The zdi network "Dortmund macht MINT" has been in existence since 2009 and partners include schools, universities, companies, extracurricular places of learning, chambers, the employment agency and various departments of the city of Dortmund. In the Dortmund zdi network, local stakeholders network at regular meetings and exchange information about opportunities for cooperation.
At national level
LaKof NRW is an association of equal opportunities officers from all universities and university hospitals in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It offers equal opportunities officers the opportunity for exchange, cooperation and joint political action at state level.
KostA NRW is a state-wide association of student advisors to equal opportunities officers at universities and university hospitals. It works as a commission of the LaKoF NRW. KostA focuses its work on the implementation of equality policy measures at student level and also calls for the active participation of students in equality within academic self-administration.
The Women's and Gender Studies Network NRW has set itself the goal of making science gender-equitable and networking gender research across disciplines. The network's online portal contains databases on experts, research projects and institutions dedicated to women's and gender studies. Of particular importance is the statistics portal, which is used as an interactive tool by NRW universities to determine their quotas of female professors in departments and faculties.
At federal level
bukof is organized as a non-profit association whose members are the universities, represented by women's and gender equality actors, employees in gender equality offices, officials in the areas of gender equality at universities and employees in the offices of the state conferences. bukof sees itself as a gender policy voice in the German science and higher education policy discourse.
Within bukof, commissions work on various key topics. These include topics such as gender-equitable staff development in the university context, equality and internationalization, university governance and equality, queer* equality policy at universities and sexualized discrimination and violence.
In 2021, the bukof General Assembly unanimously adopted 18 positions for a gender-equitable higher education policy (in German). The positions were developed in an intensive process over two years and thus represent the common understanding and unanimous demands of bukof's gender equality stakeholders. They include all types of higher education institutions and status groups, from universities of applied sciences to universities and universities of the arts: students, professors, academic and artistic staff as well as technical, service and administrative staff.
The bukof Commission for Student Affairs (KostA) works towards implementing student interests within the nationwide equality work at universities and disseminating existing measures within the student body.