Plan for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities
An evolving department – for gender equality, equal opportunities, and Diversity
Work on gender equality, equal opportunities, and diversity is an ongoing process. It requires continuous reflection on how our environment functions for different individuals – both employees and students – and openness to change. When more perspectives are included, our work becomes more engaging, relevant, and sustainable – both in society and for everyone who comes to us.
This plan is a shared tool for working in a long-term and concrete way on these issues – in daily life, in structures, and in interactions. It is based on discussions in the Working Group for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity.
Overall goals
- To create an inclusive and respectful environment where everyone – employees and students – has equal opportunities to thrive, grow, and have influence.
- To ensure that gender mainstreaming, diversity, and equal treatment are integrated into education, research, collaboration, and leadership.
- To ensure the institution is relevant, attractive, and responsible from a broad societal perspective.
- To make rights to equal treatment and protection against discrimination clear and accessible to everyone at the institution.
Specific goals, activities, and responsibilities
| Goal | Activity | Responsible | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promote gender equality and diversity in recruitment | Design job postings with broad outreach; reflect on assessment criteria and norms | Head of Department + HR + recruitment group | At each recruitment |
| Balanced and representative leadership composition | Work to ensure leadership roles are filled with attention to gender equality and diversity; provide information on how to get involved | Head of Department + Nomination Committee | Ongoing |
| Inclusive meeting and seminar culture | Apply meeting formats that promote participation, listening, and respect – enabling diverse voices to be heard | Meeting and seminar chairs | Ongoing |
| Student perspectives in educational development | Ensure that student representatives have influence and that their views are considered in decisions about content and form of education | Directors of Studies + Board + student union | Ongoing |
| Awareness of norms and bias | Offer recurring workshops and dialogue sessions to build knowledge about norms, inclusion, and academic self-reflection | Gender Equality and Diversity Group, Safety Representatives, Faculty Committee for Equal Opportunities | Once per year |
| Support for new employees | Develop introduction routines that actively inform about rights and demonstrate shared values – to strengthen a sense of inclusion and equal rights | Head of Department + HR + Mentors | At new employment |
| Shared responsibility for development | Clearly communicate that all employees have equal rights to participate in the development of the institution, and support initiatives from staff members. | Head of Department + Board | Continuous |
If you experience something lacking
We want it to be simple and safe to speak up – or contribute ideas for improvement. If you feel the plan isn’t being followed, that something is lacking in our environment, or that we need to raise our ambition:
As an employee, you can contact:
- The Head of Department
- The Safety Representatives
- The Working Group on Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity
- The PhD Ombudsman (for doctoral students)
- The unions
As a student, you can contact:
- Student representatives
- Director of Studies
- Program Director
- The Student Ombudsperson (via Lund University Student Unions)
Follow-up and year by year goals
The plan is reviewed annually by the working group in dialogue with the head of department. Outcomes are communicated by the working group convenors at the department’s annual kick-off.
For the academic year 2025–2026, the working group will focus on two themes:
- Student representation and participation.
The group will work to strengthen student involvement in shaping a more inclusive department. As part of this effort, we will establish an annual event at the end of the spring semester where students can discuss and develop proposals for improving student engagement and representation. - Monitoring the effects of current economic measures.
Given the department’s present financial challenges, the group will monitor how different groups – both staff and students – are affected by the measures taken. Based on these assessments, we will propose ways to ensure that decision-making processes take these differential impacts into account.