Gender Equality Plan: “A genuine culture of equality is taking shape”
The University of Montpellier’s new gender equality plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees on March 13. It calls for the implementation of thirty new initiatives, in addition to the forty already carried out under the previous plan. A review and outlook with Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Academic Affairs and University Life and Special Advisor for Gender Equality, and Laure Parmentier, Head of the Workplace Quality of Life Department at the Campus Life Division (see Rouages: “ Working for Important Causes ”).
Before announcing the main points of the University of Montpellier’s new gender equality plan, what is your assessment of the 2021–2022 plan (read: Toward a Stronger Culture of Gender Equality) ?
AFC: This first plan—since it was the first of its kind—included seven priority areas and forty specific actions. All of them were carried out—with the exception of one that we ultimately deemed unwise—so the results are very positive; a genuine culture of equality is taking shape, and we must continue to promote it.
What were the key initiatives implemented during this period?
LP: There have been many, starting with the implementation of a procedure for reporting any act of violence, discrimination, psychological or sexual harassment, sexist behavior, etc. A support hotline has been established, and a guide specifically designed for victims and/or witnesses of sexual and sexist violence (SSV) is now available on the University’s website.
Has this unit been contacted?
AFC: Yes, we have received about ten reports of sexual harassment thanks to the extensive outreach efforts we’ve undertaken, and three cases have been referred to the disciplinary committee. However, these reports cover a wide range of situations; some do not fall under the University’s jurisdiction, but we were still able to assist those individuals with their process. Others filed reports but did not wish to pursue the matter further.
How can you help them in that case?
LP: These people simply wanted it to stop. I can cite the example of sexist “jokes” that are not actually jokes but rather acts of sexism. The role of the support team was to call the perpetrators out on their behavior and help them understand why such behavior no longer has a place in the institution. Afterward, either the person understands or they don’t, but they must stop.
Does this mainly concern relationships between employees?
LP: Of these ten incidents, two involved staff members, three involved Professors students, four involved only students, and the last one involved a student and an outside individual. There were two disciplinary actions, one referral to the district attorney, two reprimands, and one case is still pending.
The "Oser!" program, designed to help women break through glass ceilings has continued. Is it working well?
LP: “Oser!” existed even before the gender equality plan was implemented, as it is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In total, 140 women have been trained within the university. The program initially targeted female faculty members and researchers, but three years ago it was expanded to include female administrative staff in leadership roles. We now plan to open it up to doctoral students and/or Biats staff. New facilitators have been trained internally: Séverine Boulon, who is a faculty member and researcher, and myself. But the objectives of this training have remained the same: to enable women to better navigate their careers, gain more confidence, build a network, and learn how to promote themselves and communicate effectively.
Has work also been done with the HR department?
AFC: Yes, we’ve worked together to ensure a smooth transition for pregnant women before and after their maternity leave, and we’ve stopped prorating their bonuses. We also offer support for men who are taking or returning from parental leave. Regarding hiring committees, we’ve created a brochure titled “Recruiting Without Discrimination” to promote best practices in hiring. … There has really been a lot going on! We’ve implemented equality training and awareness-raising initiatives for new hires.
And the completion of a gender equality assessment, which was then presented to the relevant bodies at the same time as the new plan—is that correct?
AFC: Yes, this report is also available onthe University’s intranet. The figures we present there are primarily drawn from the Single Social Report (RSU). They provide an overview of the progress made in gender equality at the University between 2018 and 2021. And it is specifically based on this report that we developed the actions for the new equality plan.
So let's talk about this new plan. It has six priorities instead of seven—why was the priority concerning students removed?
LP: This focus area hasn’t really disappeared; it’s been moved out of the equality plan because it’s now part of the student life master plan. It includes all initiatives related to equality and the fight against discrimination at the student level.
Under these six priorities, 30 actions are proposed. Is that slightly fewer than the previous one?
LP: It may seem like fewer, but in reality some initiatives involve multiple tasks, and some of them are quite ambitious in terms of time, workload, and expected results, so our goals continue to grow in scope.
What steps can you already announce to us?
AFC: One of our flagship initiatives will be our participation in the Acadiscri survey, conducted by a group of researchers at several French universities. It will be launched across the entire academic community and will focus not only on gender equality but on all 25 criteria for discrimination defined by law: gender, age, actual or perceived sexual orientation, physical appearance, and more. The goal is to obtain quantifiable indicators to assess the situation.
The plan mentions a brochure on gender diversity. What will it cover?
LP: This brochure will provide data on the percentage of female students and their success rates in the various programs. Some fields are still very gendered—which was, in fact, the focus of the exhibition “Flou.e” presented as part of “Donner des Elles à l’UM”—and we want to show that women who enroll in fields considered “masculine” succeed, and succeed very well indeed.
Is there also a communications component?
LP: Yes, we need to continue educating the university community about gender stereotypes, particularly communications officers, who may still sometimes use them without realizing it. To help them, we have developed a guide to inclusive writing that has just been widely distributed. Finally, one of the key initiatives in this plan will be the creation of a toolkit for academic departments, schools, institutes, and research units.
What will we find in this toolkit?
LP: We’re still working on the details, but it will include “ready-to-use” resources for raising awareness: the equality plan, legal texts, the gender balance report, and perhaps access to books or video recordings… Still on the topic of awareness-raising, we’ll be offering short training sessions—one hour or half an hour—on the VSS and reporting mechanisms for staff. Something very brief that will allow us to reach a lot of people.
Have there been any changes in direction since the last plan? Are there any mistakes we should avoid repeating?
AFC: No, the idea is to maintain this momentum and ensure the long-term sustainability of our initiatives. The gender parity report, for example, will be updated regularly to track its progress within the University. We will continue our awareness-raising efforts and keep promoting a healthy work-life balance, just as we did when we established daycare centers. We will continue to promote equal access for men and women to leadership positions and keep fighting against discrimination and acts of violence…
Overall, how has the implementation of these initiatives been received at the university?
AFC: All these measures were passed unanimously! This is a central issue in today’s society, and the University reflects that society. This is where tomorrow’s generations are educated, and even though the plan for professional equality isn’t primarily aimed at students, it does have an impact on them. When we work to help women break through glass ceilings, we create new role models for the students at our university.