Do we have a workplace with equal opportunities for all?
At Health, we now have a codex for gender equity, diversity and inclusion. The codex will remind us of our values and our vision for our workplace. Because gender equity and inclusion won’t come automatically.
"From the Dean’s Desk" – a column in Inside Health
Shortly after a meeting in the Academic Council at which we talked about involvement, I received an email from one of the members of the council. She had thought about our discussions and suggested that I write directly to employees at Health in the faculty's newsletter. She suggested that I could write about some of the initiatives currently on my desk, so that all employees can keep abreast of some of the things we’re working on at the faculty.
I think it's a brilliant idea - thank you! I intend to continue this column once a month from now on.
Perhaps you have noticed that the faculty has guidelines for inclusive and gender-neutral communication? We also have focus on fighting sexism, especially on the PhD programme. In articles in Inside Health, we talk about very different career paths to show the different paths in a working life. We work with career development, initially focusing on the early career researchers. We carry out inclusion audits, which examine whether the heads of department at Health ensure that researchers have equal conditions, or whether they unconsciously assign larger offices or more resources to one gender over another.
The foundation for this is a codex for gender equity, diversity and inclusion, which has now been adopted by Health's Committee for Gender Equity and by the faculty management team. With these very concrete initiatives, the codex means that we are working to create a faculty with equal opportunities for all.
But what does such a codex actually contain, and what do we hope to achieve with it?
The aim is to work actively for a culture where no one feels marginalised, even though they may be the only woman or man in the group, be much younger or older than the others, come with a different professional background or from a different cultural background. The goal is to create a workplace where no gender faces greater barriers than any other gender.
A workplace where everyone feels equally valued is not only more pleasant; it is also more attractive, productive and innovative.
Our codex contains five overall goals, which I will discuss in the following:
For me, it’s about creating a work environment where everyone feels welcome, regardless of their background. If you feel valued, you won’t be reluctant to share your ideas or give your best effort. Research only becomes truly innovative when everyone contributes.
Gender equity and diversity are core values in line with freedom of research. This means that we must work consciously to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities and equal access to resources.
Open dialogue is the foundation of academic culture. We want an open debate in which different points of view can be shared, and always with respect. We cannot have an open and free research culture without protecting and respecting the views of others.
Every employee and student must be able to develop their potential. In this context, the conversation about career development is also crucial, and this applies to both junior and senior researchers. For all employees, it’s about the individual's opportunities to develop professionally and about ensuring that all voices are heard in our daily work.
For some, many of these goals may seem trivial and self-evident. There are also those who would say that it is superfluous, perhaps even ridiculous, to formulate a codex on how to treat one another. After all, isn't a university a workplace where values such as freedom of expression, openness and diversity are highly regarded?
Fortunately, it is. That is also why we have a good starting point.
After the holidays, the codex will be printed on an A4 sheet and sent to the departments. You can also print the codex yourself in both Danish and English and then hang it in offices, kitchens, coffee rooms, meeting rooms and labs.