Gender Equality Plan: “A true 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 of the plan and its future prospects 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 (see: Toward a Stronger Culture of Gender Equality) ?
AFC: This first plan—since it was the first—included seven priority areas and forty actions. All of them were carried out—with the exception of one that ultimately seemed ill-advised to us—so the results are very positive; a true culture of equality is taking shape, and we must continue to promote it.
What were the key initiatives that were 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 center has been established, and a guide specifically for victims and/or witnesses of sexual and sexist violence (VSS) is now available on the university’s website.
Has this unit been contacted?
AFC: Yes, we received about ten reports of sexual harassment thanks to the extensive outreach efforts that were carried out, and three cases were referred to the disciplinary committee. However, these reports involve a wide variety of situations; some do not fall under the University’s jurisdiction, but we were still able to assist those individuals with their process. Other individuals filed reports but did not wish to pursue the matter further.
How can you help them in this situation?
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 at the school. Afterward, either the person understands or they don’t, but they must stop.
Does this mainly concern relationships among employees?
LP: Of these ten incidents, two involved staff members, three involved Professors , and 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—it’s celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In total, 140 women have been trained at the university. The program initially targeted female faculty members and researchers; three years ago, it was expanded to include female administrative and technical staff (BIATs) in leadership roles. We now plan to expand it to include female Ph.D. 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.
Was any work also 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 ended the prorating of their bonuses. We also offer support for men who are taking or returning from parental leave. Regarding hiring panels, we’ve created a brochure titled “Recruiting Without Discrimination” aimed at promoting best practices in hiring. … There really has been a lot going on! We’ve introduced equality training and awareness-raising initiatives for new employees.
And a gender equality assessment was conducted and presented to the governing bodies at the same time as the new plan—is that correct?
AFC: Yes, in fact, this report can be found onthe University’s intranet. The figures we present there are drawn primarily from the Single Social Report (RSU). They provide context for the evolution of gender equality at the University between 2018 and 2021. And it is specifically based on this report that we developed the actions outlined in the new equality plan.
So let's talk about this new plan. It has six priorities instead of seven—why was the priority regarding students removed?
LP: This area hasn’t really disappeared; it has been moved out of the equality plan because it is now part of the student life master plan. It includes all initiatives related to equality and the fight against discrimination at the student level.
Across these six areas, 30 actions are proposed. Is that a little fewer than the previous one?
LP: It may seem like fewer, but in reality, some initiatives involve multiple actions, and some of them are quite ambitious in terms of time, workload, and expected results, so our goals continue to expand.
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. The survey will be rolled out to the entire university community and will focus not only on gender equality but on all 25 grounds for discrimination defined by law: gender, age, actual or perceived sexual orientation, physical appearance, and so on. 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 show the percentage of girls and their success rates in the various academic tracks. Some fields are still highly gendered—which, incidentally, was the focus of the “Flou.e” exhibition 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 in fact succeed very well.
Is there also a communications component?
LP: Yes, we need to continue educating the university community about gender stereotypes, particularly communications staff, who may still sometimes use them without realizing it. To help them, we’ve developed a guide to inclusive writing that has just been widely distributed. And finally, one of the key initiatives of this plan will be the creation of a toolkit for academic departments, schools, institutes, and research organizations.
What will we find in this toolkit?
LP: We’re still working on the details, but it will include “ready-to-use” resources for conducting awareness-raising initiatives: the equality plan, legal texts, the gender parity report, and perhaps access to books or video replays… Still on the topic of awareness-raising, we’ll be offering short training sessions—one hour or half an hour long—on the VSS and reporting procedures for staff. These will be very brief sessions designed to reach a large number of people.
Have any guidelines changed since the last plan, or are there things we shouldn't do again?
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 spaces. 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 of these measures were passed unanimously! This is a central issue in today’s society, and the University is a reflection of that society. This is where tomorrow’s generations are educated, and even though the plan for professional equality is not 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 both female and male students at our university.