Gender-differentiated data and equality plans of the Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is characterized by a traditionally as well as currently high proportion of women. This can be seen at first glance from the gender distribution both among students and at the individual academic qualification levels and professorships as a whole. However, when differentiated, the gender ratio is not yet balanced at all levels.
Of the 9,442 students enrolled at the faculty on the last reporting date of 1 December 2023, 67.2 percent were female and the proportion of women in almost all degree programs assigned to the fifteen teaching units was also between 50 and 80 percent. The proportion of women completing doctorates has fallen slightly and most recently stood at 52%. The situation is similar at the level of female postdocs, whose proportion has fallen from 57 to 53 percent over the past three years. In contrast, there has been a noticeable jump in the number of habilitations from 14% to 50%, although this increase should be viewed with caution as the absolute figures at this qualification level are very low overall.
The development of the proportion of female professors at the Faculty of Arts shows that the opportunities for women to be appointed have improved overall: While the proportion of female professors was 32.1% in 2020, it had increased to 40.7% by the end of 2023. There has also been an increase in the individual salary levels W1, W2/C3 and W3/C4. Nevertheless, there is still a clear need for action for W3/C4 professorships with a total of 31%. Active recruitment should continue to be a priority in this respect.
The proportion of female academic staff at the Faculty of Arts was just under 58%. Overall, it can be stated that women are employed more frequently than men across almost all pay scale groups, both part-time and on fixed-term contracts and via third-party funding. The majority of employees in technology and administration (i.e. 69 out of 75) also continue to work part-time, which corresponds to 92 percent of women.
Gender equality plans of the Faculty of Arts 2022-2026
The equality plans are a key management tool for promoting equality at universities.
The NRW State Equal Opportunities Act (§§ 5, 5a, 6) forms the legal basis for the creation, review and updating of these plans. These legal requirements in North Rhine-Westphalia have standardized the framework conditions for drawing up equality plans, in particular with regard to fields of action to be considered, concrete objectives, and measures to be defined.
The Senate decides on the equality plans of the universities (LGG §5, para.2).
The achievement of the objectives of the equality plan must be reviewed after two years at the latest. If it becomes apparent that its objectives are not being achieved, measures in the equality plan must be adjusted or supplemented accordingly (LGG § 5, para. 7).
If the targets of the equality plan with regard to hiring, promotion, and the transfer of higher-ranking jobs to women have not been met within the specified period, a special justification by the department is required for each hiring, promotion, and higher grouping of a man in an area in which women are underrepresented until the targets are met (LGG § 5, para. 9).
Measures based on the interim evaluation
Based on the interim evaluation of the equality plans of the Faculty of Arts as well as the individual departments (2024), a faculty-specific package of measures will be developed to further promote and support equality and equal opportunities.
Links to the gender equality plans
More detailed information on the university's central framework and an overview of the equality plans of all departments and institutes can be found on the website of the Vice Rectorate for Equal Opportunities and Diversity and on the website of the central Equal Opportunities Office.