In a series of posts we present the current developments in gender equality in the GEinCEE CoP’s member organisatons and their motivations to join the CoP. Read a post written by Hanna Achremowicz from University of Wroclaw.
What were our motivations to join CoP?
The University of Wrocław joined the Community of Practice for Gender Equality in Central and Eastern Europe in 2019. A person who decided to take part in the project was Rector's Proxy for Corporate Social Responsibility dr Kamila Kamińska – Sztark. Mgr Hanna Achremowicz from the Institute of Pedagogy is the second representative of the academic community of University of Wroclaw in the CoP. Dr Kamińska – Sztark conducts projects on intercultural education and socially excluded groups, including mothers and immigrants. She also works in areas of educational aspects of city and street art, sustainable development, social innovations, responsibility of academy and transfer of knowledge. Hanna Achremowicz’s research interests include children’s participation in the democratic process, situation of women in the Catholic Church and feminist theology.
Our motivation to join the project was to develop the discussion about gender equality, promote the idea of equality among university employees and encourage them to complete the survey ‘The Gender Equality Audit and Monitoring Tool’. Our intention is to collect data on issues such as: stereotypes, prejudices, bias, organizational culture and climate, behavior, interpersonal experiences etc. and share them with international academic environment. We also plan to deepen the analysis with a qualitative study on employees’ personal experiences related to gender equality. Dr Kamila Kamińska – Sztark singed the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing the Community of Practice for Gender Equality in Central and Eastern Europe to promote the idea of gender equality, learn and exchange knowledge and prepare the basement for future development in this direction at the University of Wrocław.
Current developments in gender equality in our institution
The University of Wrocław employs 1 973 academic teachers and 24 658 students are being taught. As for now, sex-disaggregated data are not being published. The university has not implemented any gender equality plan either. The issues of gender equality had fallen within the competence of the Rector's Proxy for Corporate Social Responsibility, among her many other responsibilities till the February 2020. Since 1st February 2020 the Rector instituted the position of the Spokesman for Equal Treatment and Anti-discrimination. His responsibility is to develop appropriate procedures and standards for equal treatment at the University of Wrocław.
Dispite the lack of the complex gender equality plan, some particular solutions are being implemented. At two departments – Pedagogy and Sociology – there are special rooms for breastfeeding mothers.
Withal in 2003 the Center for Gender Studies has been launched. It conducts research, organizes conferences, lectures, and publishes papers. The head of the center is dr Elżbieta Klimek-Dominiak. Additionally, since 2016 the Department of Sex and Family Sociology has been operating. Its activity includes both research and teaching. The head of the Department is dr hab. Dorota Majka-Rostek. In recent years both institutes organized a number of conferences, including:
- "Social power of emotions II (Społeczna moc emocji II), Wrocław 12/5/2019.
- "Social power of emotions I (Społeczna moc emocji I), Wrocław 12/6/2018.
- „100 years of free choice – how to teach about equality after 100 years after achieving voting rights by Polish women” Wrocław 11/16/2018.
- „Figuring Vulnerabilities and Creative Resistance: Femininities and Masculinities in North American and Polish Life Writing, Film and Comics“, Wrocław 10/12/2018.
- „Women situation in democratic Poland – after 100 years of receiving voting rights”, Wrocław 05/24/2018.
- „Body is trickster – contexts of experiencing the body”, Wrocław 12/10/2015.
- „Gender not welcome? Socio-cultural dimensions of gender in public and private space”, Wrocław 4/12/2014.
The University of Wroclaw takes also part in gender equality projects coordinated by external stakeholders. These include cooperation with the Critical Education Association in projects dedicated to student mothers: Studying Mum (2011), Change the Studies (2014) – both included workshops for mothers and legal assistance.