Gender Equality Policy

The issue of gender equality in higher education is a vital concern in contemporary society. Gender equality means that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born female or male (which is different from gender equity—which refers to the provision of fairness and justice in the access to resources and distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men). Gender equality implies that the interests, needs, and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, thereby recognising the diversity of different groups of women and men. This discussion takes on particular meaning when one reflects on the fact that universities were established by men for men. Women first gained regular access to universities in the 1880s ...