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The Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor & Economic Affairs awarded the JKU with the equalitA quality seal in 2022 in recognition of the advancement of women in the workplace. The quality seal is awarded to companies that not only promote gender equality in the workplace, but also support the advancement of women in the workplace and publicly raise their visibility, thereby supporting gender equality in the workplace.
We've come a long way,
The JKU is celebrating International Women's Day
March 8 is International Women's Day, drawing attention around the world to address women's rights and discrimination, and to advocate for gender equality.
We at the Johannes Kepler University are taking advantage of International Women's Day as an opportunity to not only look back at the accomplishments to date in supporting the advancement of women, but also to highlight areas that still require attention and effort.
JKU Events to Mark International Women's Day
Feb. 26, 2025: Die Dohnal - Women's Minister/Feminist/Visionary
A film screening to kick off activities at the JKU.
Learn more.
Mar. 6, 2025: Create demonstration signs for March 8
Join the AKG and Dept. of GCV to make signs!
Learn more.
Mar. 11, 2025, at 10.00 AM
Mar. 12, 2025, at 4:30 PM
Campus Tours - Space for Female Pioneers
Meet in front of the UniCenter/Mensa
Sign up: gleichstellung(at)jku.at
The Gender Distribution at the JKU
Back when the university was established in the 60s, the proportion of women at the JKU - as students and as faculty members - was far lower. Only 12% of the student body was female and - up until the 90s - there was only one female full professor. Thanks in part to targeted initiatives to support the advancement of women, this has since changed. Over the years, the overall distribution of females among the student body at the JKU has been well balanced.
We have still not been able to attain true gender equality. Women continue to advance along the academic career ladder at lower rates than men, for example, and in 2023, the proportion of women in professorship positions was 17%. The "leaky pipeline" phenomenon entails the progressive loss of competent women faculty members.
Diagram: The Leaky Pipeline at the JKU., opens a file
![[Translate to Englisch:] Diagramm Leaky Pipeline an der JKU](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/1/csm_Leaky_Pipeline_JKU_2023_ebc2aa317d.png)
The JKU's Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences continues to attract more male students than female students, demonstrating a considerable degree of underrepresentation among women. Although more women have enrolled in degree programs offered by the TN Faculty over the past few years, in 2023, the percentage of women students was still only 28%.
Diagram: The Leaky Pipeline JKU TN., opens a file
![[Translate to Englisch:] Diagramm Leaky Pipeline TN JKU](/fileadmin/_processed_/3/3/csm_Leaky_Pipeline_TN_2023_2cf5b8c110.png)
The annual Gender & Diversity Report contains this and other information regarding gender distribution. The report reveals, for example, the gender distribution among the student body as well as among academic and general employees, creating the foundation for additional initiatives in the area of the advancement of women, equality and diversity.
The Gender & Diversity Report (PDF), opens a file
The team at the Office of Equality, Equal Opportunity, and Diversity continuously devises policies, programs, and initiatives designed to meet our goals of becoming a gender-equal university.
One specific initiative aimed at increasing the number of women pursuing a degree in science and technology is the Fem Tech Upper Austria (FIT) program. The program involves so-called "FIT ambassadors" holding information sessions at local schools. FIT ambassadors are women currently enrolled in an academic degree program in science or engineering and the goal is to ensure a balanced distribution of genders in various occupational fields and degree programs.
The "MI(N)TMACHEN – Career Orientation at the JKU, opens an external URL in a new window" focuses on raising the number of women working in engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, and in computer sciences.
The JKU is involved in several programs intended to raise the number of women in leadership positions. To counteract the gender asymmetry that continues to persist in science and academia, the universities in Linz, Krems and Salzburg have jointly piloted the Career_Mentoring III career development program for women scholars for a number of years now.
, opens an external URL in a new windowThe JKU is involved in the Upper Austrian cross mentoring program, opens an external URL in a new window, aimed at increasing the number of women in leadership positions in Upper Austria.
Department of Equality, Equal Opportunity, and Diversity
Our website contains additional information about the unit's central fields of responsibility as well as detailed information about the history of the advancement of women.
