Advancement of women
"Women who demand nothing are taken at their word: They get nothing."
(Simone de Beauvoir)
General information on the advancement of women at universities
The concept of the advancement of women is intended to create structures and processes in organisations that have an anti-discriminatory effect and collectively promote women as a target group by eliminating or compensating for existing disadvantages for them.
In Art 7 para. 2, the Federal Constitution Act contains a state objective provision on the promotion of de facto equality between women and men.
Equality between women and men and the advancement of women are among the principles and tasks of universities in Austria in the University Act 2002 (sections 2 no. 9, 3 no. 9 and section 41).
The Federal Equal Treatment Act obliges universities as employers to promote equality for women and facilitate their access to positions at all hierarchical levels through measures such as the implementation of plans for the advancement of women and structural changes.
Promotion of women at the University of Innsbruck
It is an important objective of the University of Innsbruck to promote the potential of women and to create structural conditions, in which more women will have equal development opportunities in line with their qualifications in the future, and not only because of its legal mandate. Through special support programmes and measures, women are increasingly motivated to pursue a university career and are supported in doing so.
The aim is to increase the proportion of women in areas in which they are underrepresented. The programmes/measures are aimed at various target groups: female students, pre-docs, post-docs, prospective female professors and general staff.
A prerequisite for this is also the promotion of a gender-equitable and diversity-oriented organisational culture in all organisational units (e.g. faculties, institutes, administrative departments) with regard to their working, teaching, learning and research processes.
Plan for the advancement of women at the University of Innsbruck (only in German)
Specific funding programmes
The University of Innsbruck regularly offers research funding programmes, prizes and scholarships, especially for young academics. Some of these are specifically intended for women. Further information can be found at Homepage of VR for Research.
For female academics at the University of Innsbruck who have habilitated or are in the process of habilitating, Appointment training for prospective female professors is regularly held as part of the internal training programme. In a two-day intensive workshop, female academics from all faculties prepare specifically for applying for a professorship. Through the participation of people with extensive experience in appointment procedures (rector, chair of the AKG, members of appointment committees, deans, professors), their specific knowledge acquired in practice is made available to the participants.
The university's internal training programme also regularly offers special training programmes for women.