Rise in the count of women in academic faculty positions observed
In the world of academia, the Competence Centre for Women in Science and Research (CEWS) of the GESIS Leibniz Institute in Mannheim, Germany, has been championing equal opportunities for over two decades. The CEWS University Ranking on Equal Opportunity Aspects provides a comprehensive assessment of universities' efforts towards gender equality.
The ranking, first published in 2003 when the proportion of female professors stood at 11%, has seen significant improvement. Today, the figure has risen to 29%. However, women remain underrepresented in higher academic positions, with full professorships showing a range of 27.2% to 28.8% female representation.
Several German universities are leading the way in promoting gender equality. The Universities of Konstanz and Tübingen, for instance, have performed exceptionally well, with Konstanz holding four top group placements and two in the middle, and Tübingen boasting five times top group and one placement in need of development. The University of Hohenheim has also made a strong showing, placing in the top group for four out of six indicators and the middle field for two more.
In the federal states ranking, Berlin leads in equal opportunities for women and men at universities, followed by Bremen and Hamburg. However, the ranking does not provide specific data for these states' performance. Similarly, the performance of universities in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, or Saarland is not detailed in this particular ranking.
One university that stands out in Baden-Württemberg is the Pedagogical University of Karlsruhe (PHKA), which ranks third nationwide for professorships, with more than half (55 percent) held by women. The University of Stuttgart also performs admirably, ranking highly in three out of six categories and excelling in the postdoc and professorship categories.
However, traditional universities such as Tübingen, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ulm, and Friedrichshafen require improvement in the professorship category. The traditional universities are identified as needing development in the ranking.
Access to the CEWS University Ranking on Equal Opportunity Aspects requires a Staatsanzeiger subscription. It is based on data from the official university statistics of the year 2023 and evaluates data from 307 universities.
While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. The CEWS ranking serves as a valuable tool for universities to assess their progress and identify areas for improvement in the pursuit of gender equality in academia.
- The Competence Centre for Women in Science and Research (CEWS) has been advocating for equal opportunities across various fields in the world of academia, including health-and-wellness, womens-health, science, and business, for over two decades.
- In the field of education-and-self-development, several German universities such as the Universities of Konstanz, Tübingen, and Hohenheim are leading the charge towards gender equality in academic positions, with Konstanz and Tübingen being among the top performers in the CEWS University Ranking.
- The Pedagogical University of Karlsruhe (PHKA) stands out in the state of Baden-Württemberg, ranking third nationwide for professorships, with more than half (55 percent) held by women, indicating a successful approach to women's careers in academia.
- In contrast, traditional universities like Tübingen, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ulm, and Friedrichshafen need improvement, particularly in the professorship category, as identified by the CEWS ranking, which underscores the need for further financial resources to address this issue and ensure a balanced representation of genders in academia.
