The Faculty of Health Sciences (FGW), like its supporting universities (UP, MHB, BTU), strives for diversity at all levels. Heterogeneity in teams leads to a broadening of perspectives, which is a declared goal of science. Gender equality work at the FGW thus aims in particular to further increase and strengthen the proportion of women in management positions, to promote the topic of anti-discrimination at the faculty and to promote working conditions that allow a good balance between studies/work and family and private life.
To this end, the FGW draws on the expertise of the three supporting universities, whereby the legal conditions from the equality concepts, regulations, directives and guidelines apply to the university and its members that have adopted them.
Counseling and contact person at the FGW
At the Faculty of Health Sciences, we support you with counseling services and the establishment of a direct contact person.
Paula Theobald is the decentralized Equal Opportunities Officer at FGW.
She advises the faculty:
In all matters relating to equality
In the event of discrimination, disadvantage or concerns about equal opportunities
On matters relating to studies, career planning and funding opportunities for women
In cases of sexual harassment and sexualized violence
Location: University of Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 9, Building 62 (H-Lab), Room 004, 14476 Potsdam – Golm
Implementation of equality at the FGW
Achieving equality is a cross-sectional task that cuts across all areas and is therefore integrated into many different topics and fields of activity at a university. The areas of responsibility of gender equality work at universities in the state of Brandenburg are regulated by law and incorporated in various legal texts.
In order to adequately address various challenges, the supporting universities of the FGW have developed concepts for the equality of all genders, regulations on anti-discrimination and recommendations for gender-inclusive language use.
Instruments to advance equality
The FGW and its supporting universities already use the following standard instruments to promote gender equality:
Call for applications for junior professorships to counter the loss of talent in this career phase
People also encounter obstacles and resistance in the academic system, so that extensive participation by team members is slowed down or prevented. Central terms that address the systemic problems at universities are listed below:
Definition: Women often encounter obstacles on the first rung of the career ladder, as they are less likely than men to be promoted to entry-level management positions.
Reference: This leads to long-term underrepresentation in higher management levels.
Source: McKinsey & LeanIn.org, Women in the Workplace (2023)
Definition: Discrimination refers to the unjustified disadvantage or unequal treatment of persons or groups on the basis of certain characteristics such as origin, gender, skin color, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability or social status.
Definition: Women are often confronted with contradictory expectations – they are expected to be competent and approachable at the same time. While strong leadership is considered “unfeminine”, “feminine” behavior is interpreted as a sign of a lack of competence.
Source: Catalyst, Double Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership (2007)
Definition: The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to leadership positions even though they are qualified.
Definition: Intersectionality is the interweaving of different power relations, such as race, class, gender, ableism, sexuality, ageism and many other forms of discrimination. Another word for this would be multiple discrimination.
Source: RCG magazine 2014, Heinrich Böll Foundation
Definition: Refers to the declining proportion of women at the various qualification levels and career stages in science, despite women’s increasingly higher educational qualifications.
Source: Research & Teaching, 30 (2023) 1, pp. 32-33
Abuse of Power
Definition: Abuse of power refers to the unjustified or unethical use of power, authority or influence to gain personal advantage, harm others or assert one’s own interests at the expense of others. This involves deliberately exploiting a position of superiority.
Definition: Mothers are often disadvantaged in professional life, whether through lower salaries, fewer promotions or prejudices about their availability and competence.
Counterpart: The “fatherhood bonus”, in which men often even gain career advantages through fatherhood.
Source: Correll, Shelley J., et al, Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty? (2007)
Definition: Privileges are special rights, advantages or benefits to which a person or group is entitled, often in contrast to the rights of others. They can be based on various factors, such as social status, economic position, origin or other characteristics.
Definition: The lack of role models in leadership positions reinforces the perception that women or marginalized groups are inappropriate or unusual in these roles.
Source: Husu, Liisa, Women in Science: Tokenism and Role Models (2001)
Definition: Women, especially in male-dominated professions, often have to balance between conforming to traditional gender roles and demonstrating competence. A misstep in either direction leads to negative evaluation.
Source: Williams, Joan C., et al, Double Jeopardy? Gender Bias Against Women of Color in Science (2014)
Definition: Gender-related distortions of reality in the form of stereotypical assumptions and attributions that are reflected in evaluation patterns.
Relation to science: Gender-related bias effects are systematic effects that occur intentionally or unintentionally and are particularly effective in performance attributions in personnel selection procedures or in peer review procedures for publications.
