Fair together

Berlin is pioneering: through intensive dialogue between science and politics, a unique university landscape has developed in the Brain City, where equality work and gender studies are an integral part of everyday university life.

Berlin has been in the top position in gender equality rankings in a direct country comparison since 2005. The foundations for these developments were laid in the 1980s. At that time, the first centers for women's studies were established at universities and women's representatives were appointed. At the end of the decade, the first support programmes for the academic qualification of female scientists and artists and for women's studies at universities in the state of Berlin followed.

What does the Brain City do differently?

• Women's and gender studies are firmly established at Berlin's universities through dedicated professorships, established research centres and gender studies programmes, as well as a variety of other measures, such as modules and further training on gender and diversity in teaching. Exchange between the various universities and cooperation between the individual institutions is strengthened by the Working Group of Women's and Gender Studies Institutions at Berlin Universities (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschungseinrichtungen Berliner Hochschulen, afg)
   
• The unique Berlin Equal Opportunities Programme (Berliner Chancengleichheitsprogramm, BCP) provides approximately €3.8 million in funding annually to support universities in improving the representation of women at qualification levels and in professorships and in creating gender-equitable structures and cultures at universities (current funding period until 2026)
   
• In the Berlin Dialogue for Equality (Berliner Doalog für Gleichstellung), stakeholders from the state government, university management, gender studies and the State Conference of Representives for Women's Rights and Gender Equality  (Landeskonferenz der Frauen- und Gleichstellungsbeauftragten, LakoF Berlin) work closely together to continuously improve their measures for implementing equality

Networking, dialogue, creating structures – developments in Berlin

• 1981 First Women's Research Centre in Berlin founded at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin) as the History of the Center for the Promotion of Women’s and Gender Studies (ZEFG)
   
• 1989 Founding of the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies (ZIF) at Humboldt University zu Berlin (HU Berlin)
   
• 1990 Equality and full-time central women's representatives at all Berlin universities enshrined in the Berlin Higher Education Act (Berliner Hochschulgeseztz, BerlHG)
   
• 1991 Establishment of a State Conference (LakoF Berlin) with central women's representatives from three universities, one art university and three art colleges, four universities of applied sciences, two denominational universities and the university hospital
   
• 1993 State Equality Act (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG) for Berlin
   
• 1995 Establishment of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies at the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)
   
• 2000 Establishing of the competence network Working Group of Women's and Gender Studies Institutions at Berlin Universities (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschungseinrichtungen Berliner Hochschulen, afg)
   
• 2001 Consolidation of funding programmes into the Berlin Programme for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Women in Research and Teaching  (Berliner Programm zur Förderung der Chancengleichheit für Frauen in Forschung und Lehre, CP)
   
• 2001 Founding of the Harriet Taylor Mill Institute at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin)
   
• 2003 Founding of the Centre for Gender in Medicine (GIM) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
   
• 2006 First university contracts at Berlin universities – equality as a political goal and part of performance-based funding allocation
   
• 2009 Founding of the Gender and Technology Centre (GuTZ) at the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT)
   
• 2013 Founding of the Institute for Gender and Diversity in Social Practice Research (Institut für Gender und Diversity in der sozialen Praxisforschung) at the Katholische Hochschule Berlin (KHSB)
   
• 2015 Berlin Dialogue: General Equality Standards (Allgemeine Gleichstellungsstandards)
   
• 2020 State Anti-Discrimination Act (Landesantisiskriminierrungsgesetz, LADG) for Berlin
   
• 2021 Diversity and diversity commissioning at Berlin universities enshrined in the Berlin Higher Education Act (Berliner Hochschulgesetz, BerlHG)

Stakeholders and institutions

Various stakeholders are engaged in intensive dialogue to promote equality at Berlin's universities:

• On the part of Berlin politics: Senate Department for Higher Education and Research, Health and Long-Term Care, Spokespersons for the Committee on Science and Research in the House of Representatives, Senate Department for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination 
   
• On the part of universities: State Conference of the Rectors and Presidents of Berlin's universities (Landeskonferenz der Rektor*innen und Präsident*innen der Berliner Hochschulen, LKRP), the  State Conference of Representives for Women's Rights and Gender Equality  (Landeskonferenz der Frauen- und Gleichstellungsbeauftragten, LakoF Berlin) and the Working Group of Women's and Gender Studies Institutions at Berlin Universities (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschungseinrichtungen Berliner Hochschulen, afg)
   
• Working Group of Women's and Gender Studies Institutions at Berlin Universities (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschungseinrichtungen Berliner Hochschulen, afg): In the early 1980s, one of the first centres for women's studies in Germany was founded at the Freie Universität Berlin. Other centres for women's and gender studies followed at other Berlin universities. In 2000, these centres and networks at the city's state and denominational universities joined forces to form the afg. This network connects researchers across universities, promotes the establishment of gender studies at universities, and supports interdisciplinary engagement with current topics in women's and gender studies. Since September 2018, the afg office has been coordinating the activities of the working group.
   
• State Conference of Representives for Women's Rights and Gender Equality  (Landeskonferenz der Frauen- und Gleichstellungsbeauftragten der Berliner Hochschulen und Universitätsklinika des Landes Berlin, LakoF Berlin): Since 1991, the full-time represetatives for women's and equal opportunities at Berlin's 13 universities and the Charité have been organising themselves in the LakoF Berlin. They coordinate cross-university matters and actively campaign at state and federal level for the elimination of discrimination and the implementation of equal opportunities in universities. The work of the women's and equal opportunities representatives is enshrined in law in the State Equality Act (LGG) and the Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHG). Women's and equal opportunities representatives advise university management, promote gender equality in administration, represent the interests of women at universities and provide advice in cases of discrimination. LakoF offers women's and equal opportunitiesrepresentatives a platform for exchange, cooperation and joint political action at state level.

Data on the proportion of women in higher education

• SenASGIVA Gender Dats Report Berlin (German only)
• SenASGIVA LGG Report (German only)
• GESIS Higher Education Rankings and Gender Equality