‘Diversity and equal opportunities at all levels’ is one of the nine key objectives to which TU Graz has committed itself. Everyone at our university is called upon to implement this, but one staff unit in particular is indispensable – the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity. Since it was founded on 22 March 2004, the areas of responsibility of the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity have continued to develop. In addition to equal opportunities and the advancement of women, it is also committed to promoting young people and reconciling work and family life. The contact, service and advice centre raises awareness of diversity and provides a wide range of services. To mark its twentieth anniversary, TU Graz people is presenting an extract from the wide range of services of the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity for TU Graz employees.
First gender equality report published
A few weeks ago, the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity published the first Gender Equality Report of TU Graz (in German). It maps developments in study programmes, employment groups and decision-making bodies at our university according to various diversity categories.
It shows that a lot has already changed at TU Graz. Nevertheless, we are still a long way from our vision of a gender-equitable university.
Rector Horst Bischof
Both at university level and when looking at individual faculties, the impact of women’s tenure track positions is clearly evident. The lowest proportion of women at all academic career levels across the university and in most faculties is at professor level.
From the executive summary of the report
Considering diversity in teaching and research
The Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity has produced helpful documents for teachers and researchers at TU Graz. The handbook ‘Diversity in Teaching. How to make it work’ helps to take diversity aspects among students into account in courses – because they have different educational backgrounds, language skills and learning experiences. The handbook ‘Taking diversity in research projects into account. How to make it work’ in turn encourages the integration of diversity aspects in all phases of a research project in order to achieve more innovative results.
Promoting women in science
The so-called ‘leaky pipeline’ does not stop at TU Graz. As their career level progresses, the proportion of women in an organisation usually decreases. Only 12 per cent of TU Graz professors are women. The Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity organises a range of services that support women in science. These include, for example, the Leading Women programme, in which post-doctoral students and female professors prepare for further management positions and workshops on strategic career planning for female doctoral students. Separate tenure track positions for women also promote their scientific careers at TU Graz.
Harmonising work and family life
Reconciling work and family life is not always easy. To support this, the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity has its own representative for work/studies-life balance in the team. They advise and inform TU Graz members not only on all topics relating to childcare (from the TU Graz nanoversity to the flexible childcare programme Fleki and childcare in the summer), parental leave and returning to work, but also about services for family carers, who can exchange ideas at the virtual carers’ get-together (‘Pflegestammtisch’), for example.
Do you know the Information brochure on paternity leave? It provides orientation on the services and contact persons for this topic at TU Graz.
‘Mind_the Gap’ Diversity Awards: take part now
In order to make the examination of the human factor in technology and natural sciences visible, the Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity presents the annual Diversity Awards of TU Graz on International Women’s Day. Employees and students of our university can still apply until 28 September this year. Why not join in?
Inclusive language at TU Graz
Language creates images, evokes associations and has an effect on our thoughts and actions. TU Graz therefore emphasises inclusive language that takes more than two genders into account and enables everyone to be addressed in an appreciative manner. The Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity and the working group for gender equality issues have created guidelines for gender-inclusive wording that employees can use in the Corporate wording guide.
Other services
‘Gender and Diversity Skills for Scientists at TU Graz’ is a course developed by TU Graz in cooperation with GenderWerkstätte Graz (GenderWorkshop Graz). It will be taught again in autumn 2025 and for the first time in English.
The Office for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity provides comprehensive programmes for children and young people, especially girls and young women, to get them interested in technology at an early age. You can find all information online at TU Graz Super Science Team (in German).
Did you know that there are twelve publicly accessible, barrier-free all-gender toilets equipped with changing tables at TU Graz?
