Universities pledge to do more to secure gender equality

By David Jobbins. Top universities have committed to leading a drive to secure greater equality for female academics and researchers across Europe.
A report from the League of European Research Universities, Women, Research and Universities: Excellence without gender bias, sets out actions that it says will overcome discrimination against women that prevents them from playing a full part in Europe’s research effort. The report was written by Katrien Maes, LERU’s chief policy officer, Jadranka Gvozdanovic, head of the gender equality commission at Heidelberg University, Simone Buitendijk, vice-rector of the University of Leiden, Ingalill Rahm Hallberg, former vice-rector of Lund University and Brigitte Mantilleri, head of the gender and equality unit at the University of Geneva. LERU’s 21 member universities are committed to promoting gender diversity among academic staff with strong leadership ability, in conformity with institutional, national and other regulatory frameworks and in partnership with LERU universities.