Gender Equality Strategy at

Trnava University, Slovak Republic

IntroductionTrnava University is one of 6 project partners of GENOVATE project aimed to transform organisational culture for gender equality in research and innovation, supported by Framework Programme 7 grant of European Commission.Project period: January 2013 – December 2016Project goal: To ensure equal opportunities for women and men by encouraging more gender-competent management in research, innovation and scientific decision-making bodies, with a particular focus on universities.

Project activities – 2013 and 2014

Development and implementation of GENDER EQUALITY ACTION PLAN

Gender Equality Action Plan

Hosting of project consortium CONVENTION

Project consortium at Convention (March 2014)

Installation of and continuous support from INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Implementation of annual RECRUITMENT AND CARREER DEVELOPMENT SURVEYS

Implementation of annual GENDER CLIMATE ASSESSMENT ALL-UNIVERSITY ONLINE SURVEYS

Implementation of pilot EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS

Development of CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN at the faculty level

Development of CODE OF PRACTICE for the faculty and eventually for the whole university

Implementation of WORLD CAFÉ event for gender equality promotion

Discussion between TU students and member of GENOVATE team (March 2014)

Trnava University GENOVATE team members (March 2014)

ConclusionsAt TU career progression of academic and research staff has clearly stated anti-discrimination rules. Both academics and researchers use informal mentoring and peer mentoring to enhance work performance. However, in the process of recruitment, career progression at TU gender issues are not taken into the account.

National legislation and institutional regulation are well set and prevent from any discrimination on the official level. However, in practice in research and innovation women are delayed in their carreer by maternity leave and do not achieve professional career levels as men do. This is viewed by the whole society as natural.

Alexandra Bražinová1, Monica O´Mullane1, Miriam Slaná2, Andrej Kállay2, Michaela Hromková2

1Dept. of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovak Republic

2 Dept. of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovak Republic

Aims of the project GENOVATETo implement innovative, locally - appropriate, structural, cultural and sustainable strategies for change in universities and research organisations to better support gender diversity and equal opportunities in research and innovation for men and women. To promote the ways in which gender equality and diversity benefit excellence in research and innovation as well as sustainable growth. To facilitate meaningful knowledge exchange between European universities with very different levels of experience in relation to implementing actions for gender - competent management in research and innovation and to involve key stakeholders in supporting and promoting change for gender-competent research management. To develop and widely disseminate a sound management approach for abolishing gender inequalities and contributing to the improvement of working conditions for male and female researchers.

References

(1) SZAPUOVÁ M, KICZKOVÁ Z, ZEZULOVÁ J. eds.: Na ceste k rodovej rovnosti: ženy a muži v akademickom prostredí. IRIS 2009. ISBN 978-80-89256-40-2. Pp 419(2) BRAŽINOVÁ A, 2013: Gender climate assessment report. Trnava University (Internal document)(3) KÁLLAY A, O´MULLANE M. 2013. InstitutionalRecruitment, Progression and Research SupportStrategy Document – Trnava University. WP 3 –WD 3.1. (Internal document)(4) BRAŽINOVÁ A, HROMKOVÁ M, 2014. Výsledky WP3 dotazníka o kariérnom a personálnom profilezamestnancov, mentoringu, nábore a udržaní sizamestnancov na Trnavskej univerzite v Trnave.(Internal document)(5) HROMKOVÁ M, BRAŽINOVÁ A, 2014. Výsledky WP4 dotazníka o monitorovaní klímy v oblasti rovnostipríležitostí pre ženy a mužov v akademickom prostredí. (Internal document)(6) GARABÁŠOVÁ M, REHORČÍKOVÁ V, HROMKOVÁM, 2014. Equality Impact Assessment Analysis (EIAA) of Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia. (Internal document)(7) JAKUBCOVÁ D, 2014. World Café no. 1 projektu GENOVATE na Trnavskej univerzite. (Internal document)

Project partnersUniversity of Bradford, United Kingdom

University College Cork, Ireland

Lulea University of Technology, Sweden

Ankara University, Turkey

Università degli Studi di Napoli, Italy

Trnava University in Trnava, Slovak Republic

University of Madrid, Spain (project evaluators)

Baseline situationTrnava University (TU) is no different from academia in the Slovak Republic and other countries in its vertical and horizontal gender segregation, resulting in the commonly known analogy, the glass ceiling effect. This is clearly visible in table 1, with regard to the large numbers of assistant professors (the first level after being hired as academic staff when qualified with a PhD) and the disproportionate number of female professors.

Table 1: Male/female ratio in typical academic career in the Slovak Republic in 2004. Source: Szapuova et al. (2009)

In the first year of the project implementation (2013), we have mapped the baseline condition and gender awareness climate at Trnava University by surveys and focused groups. Gender distribution in vertical structure of Trnava University is displayed in table 2 and horizontal distribution is in table 3.

Table 2: Gender distribution at leading managerial positions of Trnava University, 2013. Source: Project interim report

Table 3: Research and non-academic personnel at Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Slovak Republic, 2013. Source: Project interim report

Institutional CooperationRectorate of Trnava University

Faculty od Education, Trnava University

Centre of gender diversity of Comenius University in Bratislava

Institute for gender equality in Trnava