At the suggestion of Florence Caeymaex, Advisor to Rectrice Anne-Sophie Nyssen, the Board of Directors meeting of October 12, 2022 created a Gender and Equality Advisory Board responsible for proposing an institutional strategy, and launching and implementing projects in this area. It also appointed a Gender Contact Person.
Inequalities and discrimination based on gender are unfortunately well established in our society. Numerous scientific studies have proven this time and again. The University is no exception, and knows it. It is also aware that what is at stake is not just a question of justice, as it has repercussions on the production of scientific knowledge, in terms of content and epistemological positions. A number of measures have been put in place in recent years to move towards greater respect and justice. The University now wishes, as a clear-sighted and responsible institution, to demonstrate a real desire to improve the situation.
Three initial steps forward mark this desire for change.
Florence Caeymaex is a professor of political philosophy. Her main research interests are contemporary ethics and the contributions of feminist and gender theory to this field. As advisor to the Rector, she works on institutional strategy to combat discrimination and promote equality. The first action of her mandate was to get the Board to create the Gender and Equality Advisory Board, which had been called for by the former Gender Working Group.
Éléna Chane-Alune has agreed to take over PCG's mission. A graduate in management science, she heads the University's Alumni Service.
More specifically, the PCG is in charge of promoting institutional gender policy through 3 missions: networking, awareness-raising and information. As such, she participates in meetings of the PCG Network and is responsible for drafting the institutional report for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB).
Contact: e.chanealune@uliege.be 04 366 96 98
Since 2017, an informal working group has been created from a subgroup of the HRS4R (Human Resources Strategy for Research) committee. Open to all those of good will, this WG has met several times a year, to reflect on certain issues and make proposals to the university authorities.
In 2021, 31 people from different backgrounds and statuses worked together, drawing on scientific studies, numerical indicators or simple observations, to build a Proposal for an institutional genderpolicy for our University. The results of this work were presented to the University community in March 22.
The Authorities were receptive to these proposals. To determine the procedures to be put in place, the actions to be carried out and to ensure the follow-up of the various institutional projects in these matters, it was necessary for the University to equip itself with an official and permanent structure, the Gender and Equality Advisory Board, which has now been achieved.
The Advisory Board's mission is to propose an institutional strategy and action plan to the Board of Directors. It is responsible for initiating, improving, supporting and implementing gender and equality policy projects.
It is open to any motivated member of the Institution with useful expertise and/or a scientific or personal interest in the subject. The participative logic, institutional transversality and bottom-up dynamics of the former WG have been preserved, as has its organizational autonomy.
The Board is chaired by the Ethics and Equality Policy Advisor Florence Caeymaex, and includes the Rector Anne-Sophie Nyssen, the Gender Contact Éléna Chane-Alune, the Sustainable Development Advisor Sybille Mertens (Sustainable Development Goal5 concerns gender equality) and 5 Board members: Cyrille Prestianni, Bastien Bomans, Marie Barbier and two students: Diane Delperdange and Antoine Henrotin.
The Bureau operationalizes the Advisory Board's proposals, coordinates actions and ensures follow-up and institutional communication.
The Gender and Equality Advisory Board's priority is to rewrite the "Proposals" published in March 2022, to turn them into a real "Action Plan for Gender Equality", to be linked to the Authorities' institutional strategic plan. Particular attention is paid to integrating the issues of students and LGBTQIA+ people.
The issue of harassment is one of the Board's priorities. This will involve establishing criteria for identifying violence, proposing/imposing training, considering appropriate responses from the institution, supporting victims, but also communicating much more effectively about existing help and remedies... A "Harassment" Working Group was set up in December 2022. Its ambition is to draft concrete proposals by June 2023.
The wide-ranging issue of parenthood is also among the priorities, as is the reinforcement of gender bias training, particularly in recruitment.
Many of the proposed actions relate in one way or another to communication, information and training. Existing information is often inconspicuous, incomplete and scattered.
With the Gender Equality Action Plan, the University will clearly indicate how it positions itself in relation to gender issues, affirming that injustice and violence based on gender, whatever they may be, are neither acceptable nor accepted.
The Gender and Equality Advisory Board is open to any member of the university community who is motivated in a private or professional capacity.
Dans le cadre d’un projet de construction d’une crèche dans le quartier Sainte-Marguerite de Liège, 18 places sur 28 de l’établissement seront réservées aux bébés des étudiantes et étudiants ainsi que pour les membres du personnel de l’ULiège.
The University of Liège reaffirms its support for the LGBTQIA+ community and is committed to combating all forms of discrimination and violence based on gender or sexual preference.
As part of Pride Month, the ULiège Gender and Equality Council invited staff members to attend the presentation of the new edition of the "Guide for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Higher Education".
Balancing studies, career, and parenting is a major challenge for many families. Recognizing this issue, ULiège has established a partnership with and the nonprofit organization Seconde Peau , which will enable the opening of a new daycare center.
Marquez votre soutien et rejoignez l’ULiège à la Pride du 29 août, avec la Rectrice et d'autres membres de la communauté ULiège.
