Equality and Inclusion

In supporting the commitment to gender equality, European Commission has promoted the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) as a tool to facilitate institutional changes within research organisations and universities. Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele has responded positively to this initiative, adopting in June 2022 the first GEP for the biennium 2022-2024.

GEPs are strategic documents of UniSR to promote equal opportunity and inclusion of people working in the University. They are drafted through a collegial effort that involved the collaboration of a Committee GEP UniSR, which includes representatives of the Directorate Administration and Finance, Research Development, Single Guarantee Committee (CUG), Directorate of General and Legal Affairs and members of the academic body belonging to the three faculties of the University.

Now in its second edition, the GEP 2024-2027 maintains a line of consistency with the objectives already defined, while introducing innovative elements to face future challenges even more effectively.

The UniSR GEP 2024-2027 has seven main objectives, and 38 specific objectives, with related actions to be implemented through the provision of dedicated resources over three years:

1. Increase awareness of gender equality.
2. Rebalance the presence of men and women in UniSR staff.
3. Incorporate gender perspective into research and teaching.
4. Improve work-life balance and organizational culture.
5. Implement measures to combat gender-based violence.
6. Evaluate feasibility and work towards achieving the gender equality certification (UNI/PDR 125:2022).
7. Data collection on well-being, awareness of gender issues and intersectionality.

In compliance with the Gender Equality Plan, UniSR has established the role of the Gender Agent (or Gender and Diversity Agent). This role is fulfilled by a person in the administrative organisation of UniSR who is assigned to monitor the implementation of activities outlined in the GEP.

The Gender Agent is the reference point for equal opportunity and inclusion initiatives, playing a crucial role in achieving the objectives that UniSR aims to accomplish with the GEP.

The relationship between language, culture and gender influences the way we think, our linguistic, social and individual behaviors. Language is not a neutral tool: words are able to convey and nurture stereotypes and contribute to the strengthening of unjust social hierarchies.

For this reason UniSR has equipped itself with "Guidelines for Inclusive Language", a document addressed to all the university population.

Inclusive language is a response to the asymmetric structure of language to include all gender identities, even those traditionally ignored in communication, and to give them a fair and non-discriminatory or stereotyped representation and visibility.