Awareness-raising activities at MU FEd in the gender field

9 May 2022

The MU Faculty of Education promotes awareness-raising activities and makes the issue of equal opportunities and creating a safe and respectful environment more visible. The attention is focused on the principles of accessibility, openness, healthy lifestyle, and equality.

A working group on gender issues, called Change Agents, was established at the Faculty. The group is run by Dr. Lucie Jarkovská and consists of employees and students. Its activities aim to raise awareness of gender issues in the faculty environment (including promoting an open and safe environment, cultivating an academic environment, and preventing negative work behavior). Agents collaborate with experts and professionals who address gender issues at institutions across the country and participate in setting good practices.

It is worth mentioning the popularization and awareness-raising performances that took place in Brno in 2021:

• It is worth mentioning the popularization and awareness-raising performances that took place in Brno in 2021:
• Night of Scientists at Masaryk University, focusing on sex education and sexual harassment prevention (24 September 2021).
• Gender, Sex, and Tenderness: stand-up about sexual abuse and harassment in public space (23 June 2021; Brno, café Mezzanine)
• MDŽ 2022: Man equals man or woman as deviation: stand-up about androcentrism, violence, and women's rights (7 March 2022; Brno, MusicLab)

The interest in gender issues of this group is underlined by the fact that its members participate in networking events and seminars, such as:

• FAMU Ombuds Colloquium on Safe and Dignified University Environments (Feb. 16, 2022)
• When they speak, I hear a revolution: how to create a safe and respectful environment in Czech universities? (23. 3. 2022)

At the faculty and university level, steps are set up to prevent unwanted behaviors as well as procedures and tools to help in case of their occurrence. The first step was training faculty liaisons for inappropriate workplace behavior on April 8 and 11, 2022, Consent. Information about sexual harassment and procedures for addressing it has been published by Masaryk University here.

The Faculty of Education plans to expand this information with outreach activities and post it on its website.
Following the HR Award, the Faculty has implemented steps to promote the idea of non-discrimination and equality:

• Adjusting the visual presentation of equal opportunities on the website addressed to students (displaying both men and women).
• Use of gender-sensitive language in internal standards and written and spoken communication. From 2020 onwards, the newly created regulations of the Faculty of Education are written in a gender-sensitive language (instead of generic masculinities). Currently, a Handbook for Gender-Sensitive Communication at the Faculty of Education of MU is being created, which offers an overview of the main principles for using gender-sensitive language in written communication and teaching. The Handbook will be available in the second half of May 2022.
• Employees of the FEd are supported in publishing their results and outputs - a successful example is last year's Research Symposium, where 18 scientists presented their current research. Due to the positive response, the symposium will be held again this year in June 2022, under the subtitle Research oriented to the practice. For more information, follow the HR Award website.
• Attention was also given to parental and maternity leave management. A coordinator for this issue has been appointed ‒ the Head of the HR Department. Further information on this topic can be found on the website here (in Czech).
• Change Agents were trained on the gender dimension, shared their experiences, and discussed their issues with their colleagues from the National Contact Centre (NCC).
• The importance of creating an equal and inclusive environment at the Faculty of Education was also reflected in the emphasis placed on the gender-balanced composition of selection committees.

The faculty is also trying to improve conditions for students and employees by opening a canteen at Poříčí 9 and building barrier-free access to all faculty buildings, etc. For parents with small children, the faculty offers facilities equipped with a functional kitchen (Poříčí 9 building, room 1009 A) and there is also a stroller room (Poříčí 9 building, room -1009 B). Accessible toilet facilities in all buildings are continuously supplemented with a baby changing counter. Students have access to the student kitchen (Poříčí building 31, room 1018).

Don't miss the news: A year with the HR Award logo.