Eleven European higher education institutions awarded the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions have signed the Joint Declaration on Gender Equality in Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The declaration emphasises the signatories' commitment to creating and implementing inclusive Gender Equality Plans in higher education institutions, taking the gender perspective into account in research activities, and addressing structural and cultural inequalities.

The main objectives of the Declaration, signed in October 2025, are to further strengthen gender equality at the institutional level, ensure the sustainability of gender equality policies at the European level, and promote gender equality in international cooperation. Among the actions that should be continued are the introduction of transparent recruitment and promotion practices, the dissemination of recognised role models, the organisation of gender-sensitive training, the introduction of mentoring programmes, the use of networking, and the prevention and combating of gender-based violence.

‘At the University of Gdańsk, we consistently implement a policy of non-discrimination. We conduct training, implement procedures for responding to unequal treatment, and support initiatives promoting diversity in recruitment and career development,’ emphasises Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘The most important initiatives include the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) for 2024-2028, but also projects such as the recent EQUAMAN Masculinity Navigator, which promotes reflection on gender equality and the involvement of men in equality activities. The leader of these activities is prof. Ewa Łojkowska, chair of the University of Gdańsk's Social Responsibility Committee and, since 2023, president of the Fahrenheit Universities Women's Club.’

‘Our commitment to gender equality goes far beyond the institutional level. It is a key element in our partnerships. In the framework of existing extensive scientific cooperation between European institutions in higher education, research and innovation, we aim to reinforce the sustainability of inclusive gender equality policies by sharing best practices and integrating joint actions, with the active support of the European Commission. Attracting more women to academic careers and ensuring the highest standards of research quality are essential to enhancing science’s role in addressing societal and economic challenges. To achieve this, it is vital that we continue to mainstream gender equality in European and international cooperation,’ reads the Declaration.

In addition to the University of Gdańsk, the signatories of the document include the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), INSTRUCT-ERIC, the Karolinska Institutet, the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the South East Technological University, Trinity College Dublin, Technological University of the Shannon, and Rovira i Virgili University.

The full text of the Declaration is available in the attachment.