Women's affairs officer

Our current German Gleichstellungskonzept der THWS mit Gender Equality Plan (version: 08.03.2023)

The role of the women’s affairs officer and the officer for gender equality (in science and art) at higher education institutions in Bavaria is governed by law:
In carrying out their tasks, the higher education institutions support the actual implementation of equal treatment of women and men and consider it a guiding principle; they work towards eliminating current disadvantages.
The object of the support measures is to increase the proportion of women at all academic levels.
Women’s affairs officers observe that disadvantages for women in academia and teaching, and students are reduced; they support the higher education institution in performing its responsibilities.

Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG, in German)

Room: Z.1.03, Münzstraße 19, 97070 Würzburg 
Phone +49 931 3511-8549
Consultations upon appointment via e-mail
E-mail:  christina.voelkl-wolf[at]thws.de, sonja.ehrenfels[at]thws.de

Gender-neutral language guidelines

For general orientation on gender-neutral language, please see the guidelines of the United Nations. For guidelines on German gender-inclusive language, please see the "Leitfaden Geschlechtersensible Sprache" which was created by a working group including different units and faculties at THWS:

• Professor Dr. Christina Völkl-Wolf (Women’s Affairs Officer)
• Sonja Ehrenfels (Assistant to the Women’s Affairs Officer)
• Professor Dr. Rebecca Löbmann (Faculty of Applied Social Sciences)
• Angela Kreipl (Head of the Department of Public Affairs and Communications)
• Ralf Babl (Digital Accessibility)
• Professor Dr. Tanja Mühling (Faculty of Applied Social Sciences)
• Professor Dr. Dagmar Unz (Dean, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences)
• Eva Kaupp (Recruiting of Professors for THWS)
• Professor Dr. Kristin Weber (Vice President for Digitisation)
• and others

Mission of the women's affairs officer

THWS' equality efforts aim to actually enforce equal opportunity of women and men.

The women's affairs officers are responsible for the academic part (students, research associates, professors).
They support the higher education institution in implementing their equality efforts and offer advice on structural and personnel decisions.

We aim to establish a culture at THWS that is gender-neutral and offers everyone the opportunities to take decisions according to their own needs and abilities. We also strive to create structures that do not put anyone at a disadvantage.

The responsibilities of the women’s affairs officer are shared among different contact persons, who are also members of the Bavarian and the Federal Conference of Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities (Lakof and Bukof).

• With our offers for female pupils, students and academics, we support girls and women during their studies at THWS and promote their entering technical professions.
  
  
• The women’s affairs officers advise and support THWS in creating the equal opportunities guaranteed in the Federal Constitution, which was also agreed upon in the new target agreement with the Ministry (2019-2021). This includes in particular increasing the share of women among the professors at THWS. For more information, please see the German online flyer by LaKoF.

• The women’s affairs officer is also the person to contact in emergencies,
  • e.g. sexual or domestic violence,
  • mental health problems, or
  • financial problems.

• The women’s affairs officer also support students who are parents.

Help in emergencies

Sometimes, there are situations you cannot handle without external help. Examples are financial problems, mental health problems, and sexual harassment.

The women's affairs officers are the first point of contact for female students, research associates, and lecturers who are looking for help in case of emergencies. They help to overcome problems by looking at the situation from the outside with the necessary distance and are available as dialogue partners. Conversations are anonymous and confidential.

Pregnant students

Since January 2018, the revised version of the Maternity Protection Act stipulates new periods of protection and other regulation like the possibility of compensation for disadvantages. Therefore, a pregnancy has to be registered with HSST.

Holiday care is also available.

"Socially, there has never been a better starting position
to push through equal opportunity.
There have never been better means of communication.
There have never been more self-confident women.
Only the push is missing.
Now it's up to us!"

Susanne Weingarten, Marianne Wellershoff: Die widerspenstigen Töchter - für eine neue Frauenbewegung; translation by Maria Grünewald.