Going beyond the formal adoption of a gender equality plan. Guide for universities

The aim of this guide is to support universities that are willing to develop and implement a Gender Equality Plan (GEP). It is
based on the approach and lessons learned from the Horizon 2020 TARGET project ‘Taking a Reflexive Approach to Gender Equality for Institutional Transformation’.
The new GEP eligibility requirement of Horizon Europe can be a key driver for motivating universities to adopt a gender equality policy – but it also entails the risk that GEPs are seen as just another administrative requirement. This guide aims to support universities to go beyond a merely formal adoption of a GEP and is especially addressed to ‘change agents’: individuals or groups who are aware of existing gender inequalities in their institutions and are willing to counteract them. The change agent acts as a catalyst for gaining top-management commitment and initiating a structural process towards gender equality.
Actual change towards gender equality is the result of increased institutional willingness and capacity to identify, reflect on and address gender bias in a sustained way. Gender equality is a matter of social justice and there is extensive evidence that it improves the quality and impact of higher education, research and innovation.