SDG 5. Gender Equality

• Centre for Equal Opportunities Policy, Faculty of Political Science

• ATHENA – Implementing gender equality plans to unlock research potential of RPOs and RFOs in Europe, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work
• National Literature. Figures of Women, Faculty of Political Science
• Implementing gender equality plans to unlock research potential in Eastern and Outermost Europe
• Social memory in the digital age: reinventing the role of women in history through commemorative biographical discourse

The University of Bucharest systematically monitors and reports the number of its applicants, students, and graduates, including women. Data on the number of applicants, students and graduates are managed through the platforms dedicated to these activities: the Education Management Platform and the Admissions Platform. The UB also operates the Office of Education Monitoring, Reporting and Statistics, which manages all this data and supplies them to university and faculty management for analysis and specific action.

In 2021 the Gender Equality Plan 2022-2024 of the University of Bucharest was developed, which provides:

• Establishing a flexible but operational institutional structure for the coordination and monitoring of gender equality in the UB (Measure 2.1);
• the establishment of the Gender Equality Office (measure 2.2);
• improving the process of collecting, processing, and monitoring statistical data at the UB level to monitor and communicate gender equality indicators (Measure 2.4).
• At UB level, the course “Equality, diversity, inclusion: beyond stereotypes and prejudices in the university environment” was organized as part of the UB Gender Equality Plan (GEP), of which benefited around 150 UB employees during 2022.

The University of Bucharest promotes gender equality and, at the same time, respects national legislation and internal regulations, so no gender discriminatory measures are found. Thus, women, regardless of the status they belong to (candidates, students, employees) can access the services offered by the university, such as mentoring offered through various institutional projects, counselling, extracurricular development, etc.

The UB supports projects and other research and advocacy activities for under-represented groups, including related to the gender equality field.

• One such example is UB for Women in Science, an initiative of the University of Bucharest that aims to help remove invisible barriers to access faced by women in science, promote the outstanding contributions of women in the UB scientific community and celebrate their success in the scientific field in which they work.
• Another example is given by the Centre for Equal Opportunity Policies (CPES) of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Bucharest, organised in March 2022 the event „GENRE, POLITIQUE, DIPLOMATIE: QUELS OBSTACLES POUR LES CARRIERES FEMININES? DIALOGUE ENTRE DES FEMMES DIPLOMATES ET DES ETUDIANTES DU MASTER EGALITE (FSPUB). This is an example of UB’s involvement in partnerships aimed at promoting gender equality, informing women about the gender equality policy agenda, and encouraging them to take action in these directions. Below we list some other projects and actions, carried out by the Centre in the academic year 2021-2022, which aimed to document and encourage women’s involvement in academia:
• [12 May 2022 – debate, 18.00, online] Why is it important and what do we do with a diploma in equal opportunities?
• [12 April 2022, 17.30 – 19.30, online, MPES open course] Gender stereotypes in children’s literature. Guest Brînduşa Nicolaescu
• [March 16: 2022 roundtable] -Genre, politique, démocratie: quels obstacles pour les carrières féminines? /Gender, politics, democracy: what are the obstacles to women’s careers?
• [December 10, 2021 – CAGE webinar] Gender, religion and politics. Anti-gender campaigns in a comparative perspective
• [December 2, 2021 – CAGE webinar] Anti-gender campaigns in Romania: dialogue with civil society
• Another action, among the objectives of which is to encourage women to become more involved in academic life, in research and to move into less accessible areas, is the establishment of the Committee for the implementation of the gender equality plan in the University of Bucharest.

The University of Bucharest has developed within the ATHENA project – Implementing gender equality plans to unlock research potential of RPOs and RFOs in Europe the Gender Equality Plan 2022-2024, which includes measures aimed at combating discrimination against women. Also, the Charter of the University of Bucharest and the Code of Ethics and Deontology prohibit “discrimination, understood as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference, based on ” […] sex, sexual orientation …”.

According to Article 29, paragraph 1 of the Internal Regulations of the University of Bucharest, it is forbidden for the employer to terminate the employment or service relationship in the case of:

1. a) pregnant or breastfeeding employees, for reasons directly related to their condition;
2. b) an employee on maternity leave;
3. c) an employee on risk maternity leave;
4. d) an employee on parental leave for a child up to the age of two or, in the case of a disabled child, up to the age of three;
5. e) an employee on leave for the care of a sick child up to the age of 7 or, in the case of a disabled child, up to the age of 18. Article 63 of the same Regulation also states that maternity may not constitute grounds for discrimination.

The Development Strategy of the University of Bucharest for the period 2020-2023 provides for a series of actions to support the university community, among which are objectives that concern women. Two of the targets proposed by the institutional strategy refer to the development of collaboration agreements with kindergartens and nurseries with priority access for the children of teachers and students, offering support to mothers. A similar target refers to the creation of at least one playground in every campus/large building by the end of 2023.

Objective 6 – Work-life balance, caring responsibilities – of the Gender Equality Plan 2022-2024 sets out a set of measures aimed at work-life balance to support teaching staff and students with caring responsibilities:

6.1 Promote work-life balance by establishing a flexible working time scheme for UB employees;

6.2. Promote the reconciliation of students’ caring and educational obligations to encourage tertiary education for all young people, regardless of family obligations (Regulations on attendance arrangements for students with caring obligations, especially young mothers);

6.3 Organise an education and care structure for pre-school and early school children of UB staff and students.

One way in which student parents are encouraged to continue their studies is through the occasional maternity welfare grant, which is awarded to a student whose spouse has no income or income above the national minimum net wage and consists of a childbirth and maternity grant and a grant for the purchase of clothing for the newborn child, which is awarded once during the academic year for each child born (Art. 43, lit. b of the Methodology for awarding grants and other forms of support for students of the University of Bucharest, bachelor and master).

Another measure encouraging students to continue their studies is provided in Art. 46, para. 1, lit. c of the Regulation on students’ professional activity, according to which the Dean of the Faculty may approve the interruption of studies for maternity and childcare.

UB staff are entitled to parental leave for children up to the age of 2, in compliance with the law.

The University of Bucharest supports student families by providing accommodation facilities. Thus, according to the Methodology on accommodation in UB dormitories, art. 17, students who have a dependent child and live with him/her have priority in the accommodation process. The same applies to UB employees up to the age of 35.

UB’s Department of Career Counseling and Guidance and the Psychological and Educational Counseling and Intervention Clinic offer all employees and students, without discrimination, counseling and mentoring services. Available data shows that more than 50% of participants are females.

The UB Statistics Office collects data on the number and career path of graduates and carries out descriptive and explanatory analyses as a support to quality management. Thus, according to the latest report available here, 79% of graduates are female.

The University of Bucharest has a policy that protects those reporting discrimination from educational or employment disadvantage.

• A central role in this policy is played by the Ethics Commission that analyses and resolves deviations from university ethics base on complaints or through self-referrals. Both staff and students can address the commission in case of discrimination or other misconduct, and the university protects the right to confidentiality of its members in all matters concerning their private sphere, which can be provided only under the law (art. 8, Code of Ethics and Deontology).
• The University Ombudsman provides members of the academic community and the technical-administrative staff of the University, under conditions of complete confidentiality, with independent and impartial advice and information on the resolution of disputes and problems, with special reference to cases of violation of the rights and freedoms provided for by law, the Charter and University regulations (art. 140, Charter of the University of Bucharest).