gud Plain language – Gleichstellung und Diversität an der JGU

Navigation (links still inactive)

Welcome to the website of the
Equality and Diversity Office.

The Equality and Diversity Office is a department.
In other words, a group of people.

Diversity is another word for variety.

Diversity is very important for
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

We care about diversity.

There are 2 main tasks:

1. Gender equality

Equality is our goal.
Equality means:
All people should have the same rights.
And the same opportunities.
Gender doesn’t matter.

Rights means what you are allowed to do.
Opportunities means what you can do.

2. Diversity management

This means:

People are different.
That is good.
People should have equal opportunities.

For example, people from different countries.
Or people with disabilities.
Or people who are raising children and studying at the same time.

We take care of that.
We make plans.
We put the plans into action.

We help people when they are disadvantaged.
When they are not treated equally.
We help people,
when they are not given the same opportunities.

And we advise all other areas of
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

We also organize events.

We advise on these topics:

Equal opportunities in studies
Equal opportunities at work
Equal opportunitites in education
Careers of female scientists
Further training of female employees
Discrimination
Sexual harassment, violence and abuse of power
Prevention
Advice for partners
of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
How can gender and diversity be taken into account in teaching?
What do leaders and supervisors need to think about?

We will be happy to advise you personally.

Please make an appointment.

The diversity research unit wants everyone to feel welcome at the university.
It explains why diversity is important.
It gives tips and helps you if you want to do something for diversity.
It also provides support in planning and implementing projects.

Are you planning a project on the topic of diversity?
Then you can get help from us.

We advise all members of
Johannes Gutenberg University on the topic of diversity.

We can also put you in touch with other advice centers.

The General Equal Treatment Act is a law.
In German: Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz.
It is also known as AGG.

It lists 6 characteristics:

Age
Disability
Appearance
Origin
Gender
Religion

Sometimes people are discriminated against because of these characteristics.
This is prohibited.
All people are equal.

Discrimination means:
Equal is treated unequally.
For example:
A student is not allowed to participate.
Because they have a different skin color.

Discrimination can also mean:
People with unequal conditions are treated equally.
For example:
A student with a disability should complete a task just as quickly as everyone else.
But they need more time.

Another word for discrimination is disadvantage.

Then get in touch with us.

What’s not important:
What was the intention of the person,
who discriminated against you?

The important thing is:
Did this person’s behavior hurt you?

Our experts are easy to reach.

You do not have to reveal your name during the consultation.

How to reach us:

Phone
E-mail
Video consulting, for example MS Teams or Skype
In-person conversation

You can report discrimination.

Or you can ask questions.

Or make an appointment for a consultation.

Counseling is available to all employees and students of
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

This is our offer:

Advice and help with discrimination at the university
Information: What can you do?
Have you experienced discrimination against another person?
You can report this to us.

We are professionals.
The discussions are confidential.
Confidential means that nothing is passed on.

We can help you solve your problem.

Everyone has boundaries.
These boundaries must be respected.
Sexual harassment goes against people’s boundaries very severely.
Sexual harassment is not allowed!
No one is allowed to go against the boundaries of another person.

Sexual harassment and sexual discrimination are for example:

Someone performs a sexual act.
For example, touching or kissing.
Or someone makes a sexual remark.
Or someone shows sex pictures.
Treating someone badly because of their gender.

The other person doesn’t want that.

Then the dignity of the other person is hurt.

Sexual harassment is particularly bad when:

a person is threatened and is afraid to go to
for help,
many people join in and nobody helps

Further information in plain language can be found here:
Information on sexualized violence (website)

Harassment and discrimination are prohibited.
This is what the law says.

The law has been in place since 2006.
You can find the law here:

General Equal Treatment Act (Website)

The website is in difficult language.

The law also states that
employees have rights:

You can complain.
You can stop working.
You must receive compensation.

The employer must protect its employees.
The employer must have a prevention plan.

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has additional rules.
The rules are for all students and employees of the university.

You can find the rules here:

Rules for protection against harassment (PDF file)

The document is in difficult language.

The Equality and Diversity Office ensures protection against harassment.

We advise victims of sexual harassment.

And we advise leaders and supervisors:
How do I protect my employees from harassment?

Further advice at JGU and in Mainz

We work with many counseling centers (Website) together.

The website is in difficult language.

We advise female employees on jobs and careers.
You will be assigned a personal contact person.

You can discuss these things together:

What is your goal?
What options do you have?
What is important to you?
What skills do you have?
How can the contact person help you?
How can you help yourself?

We call this personal advice
individual coaching.

It means: supporting someone and teaching them something

Why is individual coaching good?

You get to know your professional wishes
and what is important to you.
You find your opportunities.
You learn how to put the opportunities into practice.
We show you how to achieve your goals.

What is important for the sessions?

Trust
Voluntariness
Confidentiality

How do we advise?

There are 4 meetings.
The meetings last 90 minutes.

There is a 2 or 3 week break between meetings.

We meet in person.
Or we can do a video consultation.

The Johannes Gutenberg University helps employees.
To continue your education and do further training.

A grant is money that you do not have to pay back.
It is support from the state or a foundation, for example.
Further training is a course in which new things are learned.
This helps in the job and with new tasks.

Support for further training

There is a grant for further training.

You can get up to 2,000 Euros.

The training must be related to your profession.
It has to be done outside the university.

You can find more information here:

Further education grant for female employees (website)

The website is in difficult language.

There are fewer women in science.
This is particularly the case for higher degrees.

That’s why there are programs for women.
There are laws for equality.
More women are graduating now.

JGU has established various programs.
These help women with their careers in science.

One program is called ProWeWin.

This stands for Female Early-Career Researchers Program.
In German: Programm Weiblicher Wissenschaftsnachwuchs.

It helps women in science.

Women receive training and advice.

Christine de Pizan Program

The Christine de Pizan program helps female early-career researchers.

It is for the humanities.
It is for the social sciences.
It is for art.
It is for music.

MeMentUM Program

The MeMentUM program helps female early-career researchers
at the University Medical Center.

Ada Lovelace Program

The Ada Lovelace program is for natural scientists.

You can find out more about the programs here (website).

The website is in difficult language.

The German Research Foundation helps researchers in Germany.
In German: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
It gives researchers money.
The German Research Foundation is also known as the DFG.

Many researchers need money for their research.
Researchers can obtain this money from the DFG.
The researchers submit a proposal to the DFG.
The researchers write in the proposal:
ideas they have for new research and what they need for their research.

Further information on the DFG:

Information in plain language (website)

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz would like to:

promote diversity
make sure everyone has the same opportunities in science
give scientists enough time for their families

That’s what the DFG wants too.
And the researchers submitting the proposal.

We support the researchers and research projects in this.

The state promotes diversity and equality in science.
The state pays money to the research projects.
The research projects can receive 15 thousand Euros per year.

We can help and show you:

How to apply for funding for your project
How to ensure diversity and equality in your project

What exactly do we do?

Before the project:

We consider with you:
What challenges are there?
How do all employees get the same opportunities?
What offers can you use?
We inform you about important dates
Help with the application
The funders will ask:
Do you have any good ideas?
We help you prepare for the questions.
We will inform you:
How can you implement diversity and equality in your project?

During the project:

You need to check every year:
Are you achieving your goals in the project?
What do you need?
We support you in this.
Support for diversity measures
We advise leaders and supervisors.
We advise young scientists and academics.
We introduce you to other research projects.
Support with reports
Support for cooperation with the
German Research Foundation (DFG)
Support for cooperation with
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz