News
Launch WUR Gender+ Equality Plan
On 3 December 2024, the WUR Gender+ Equality Plan, 2024-2028, was officially launched by rector Prof. dr. Carolien Kroeze. Special guest Prof. dr. Yvonne Benschop (Radboud University) explained the opportunities and pitfalls when moving Gender Equality Plans to more inclusivity (+) as required by the EU. Margreet van der Burg emphasized how coherence, synergy, and sustainability of gender+ integration in Education, Research, HR, Social Safety and Work-Life Balance is strengthened by WUR's G+EP. At last, the WUR Gender+ Equality Award for good practices was handed over to Marrit van den Berg (DEC-SSG), Chizu Sato (Gender+ minor and CoP) and Joshua Wambugu (DARE).
To launch the WUR Gender+ Equality Plan, 2024-2028 and secure its implementation as well as monitoring, rector Prof. dr Carolien Kroeze installed a Regie Group of the Deans of Education and Research, resp. Profs Arnold Bregt and Wouter Hendriks, and Corporate Director HR Martijn Scheen, plus a Working Group of staff assigned for various G+EP dimensions, by now Joyce van der Velde (Social Safety), Ina Lüttmann and Alejandra Guijo Bermejo (D&I), Fleur Huijsman (Work-Life Balance-Vitality) and Margreet van der Burg (Intersectional Gender Studies). They all got a mug with logo for their commitment. The WUR G+EP is a follow-up of earlier Gender Action Plans and the Plan ‘Towards a Gender-SMART WUR'. Rector Kroeze regrets this work is still needed and gave her full support. As positive take-away she pointed at the growing numbers of women among the rectors of Dutch universities.
Prof. dr. Yvonne Benschop (RU) addressed what opportunities and pitfalls she uncovered to move towards Inclusive Gender Equality Plans from case studies as WUR. She explained new terminology and concepts and shared lessons learned from the European Centre of Excellence on Inclusive Gender Equality – INSPIRE. She also pointed out the good practices at WUR we can build on: 1. The integrated inclusive G+EP design; 2. Aspirations to intersectional inclusivity; 3. Having advanced knowledge in house; 4. Mainstreaming in key organization processes.
The reactions and dialogue afterwards brought up as main points to elaborate on:
the need for all to engage and moving it forward, especially also men. Two suggestions came up: A. to integrate information or a workshop in onboarding programmes of new staff, and B. to ask everyone to invite at least one man to come along next time.
the importance of the commitment and engagement of chairholders and business unit/team leaders. The suggestion was launched to organize workshops around inclusive management and leadership styles with support of the rector throughout the Science Groups.
Students asked how to contribute best. The idea was taken to ask students how they see themselves becoming active agents and support their efforts.
WUR council emphasized to continue informing them and working with them as a way to move it forward, also including the student council.
The Event concluded with handing over 3 WUR Gender+ Equality Awards for taking up the challenge to collaborate on one or more aspects addressed in the WUR Gender+ Equality Plan. It is a continuation of the Gender-SMART Award to reward and show-cast WUR good practices for all to learn from.