Equal opportunities

"I am gay, I am jewish and a communist as well, I am black and disabled but a human just like you. I am really, really smart and as thick as an old brick, I am lovely, I am nasty, I am fat and an athlete. Nothing - nothing makes you better than me, you have your flaws as well!" (WIZO, Raum der Zeit, 1994).

The Faculty of Humanities treats all people the same. We respect sorrows and wishes and try to solve them all. The equal opportunities committee grants financial support, campaigns for work/life balance, organizes equal opportunity lunches and the family party, and fights discrimination.

Undertaken on behalf of the Faculty, this survey represents an important initial step in the Faculty’s Equality and Diversity Action plan officially launched in January 2021. This is a four‐year plan which now runs until the end of 2024.

A key feature of the new action plan is its intersectionality, expanding the Faculty’s commitment to issues of gender equality by also addressing issues of ageism, class inequality, mental health, and sexuality. In October 2020, the Faculty voted strongly in favour of supporting a special focus on issues of race/ethnicity and disability. This was therefore the focus of the Diversity Survey.

The official report is available upon request (korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch).

The faculty of humanities has the highest percentage of all faculties regarding female professors (46%), teachers (53%), and assistants (61%).

While these figures are comparatively good, they do not represent an end goal for the Faculty of Humanities which continues to work towards even greater equality at all ranks and especially with regards the retention and career progression of women.

Standing committee for equal opportunities

• Erez Levon
• Regula Schmid Keeling
• Serena Tolino
• Ariane Ballmer (Del. Doz.)
• Yvonne Schüpbach (Del. Ass.)
• Noemi Steuerwald (Del. Stud.)