Equal Opportunities Audit at the Faculty of Education MU

11 Nov 2021

The audit aimed to determine how academic and non-academic employees perceive their working conditions. It addressed various aspects of working life, work organisation, communication, team management, opportunities for growth, benefits, and the ability to combine work and family. The audit is part of HR Award activities and will serve as a framework for ensuring that equal opportunities and good working conditions do not remain only just on paper. A working group led by Vice-Dean Vaďurová has gathered its results and started discussing concrete steps that the faculty will take in the near future. A lecturer from the National Contact Centre for Gender & Science helped with the practical grasp of the results. The results serve as a basis for developing the University's Gender Equality Plan (GEP MU), which is now under preparation.

The audit was conducted in cooperation with the external Gender Information Centre NORA (GIC NORA), from April to July 2021, in accordance with the requirements defined by the Gender Audit Standard of the Government Office of the Czech Republic and the methodological guidelines of the MU Rector's Office.

The following areas were included in the equal opportunities audit:

• Organisational culture
• Combination of work and parenthood/personal life
• Recruitment and selection of employees
• Functional and career progression
• Equal representation of women and men in management positions
• Negative work behavior, including sexual harassment
• Gender dimension in research and innovation
• Study and student population.

Audit Process:

Four methods of data collection and analysis were used to conduct the audit:

• Internal documents and other supporting materials were analyzed, including faculty and university websites.
• Collection of quantitative data at the faculty (realization of an online questionnaire).
• The qualitative part is in 12 individual interviews and 3 focus group discussions. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of key thematic areas. The focus group discussions were attended by heads of academic and non-academic departments student or early-stage researchers. Individual interviews were conducted online or in-person, with representation from those on maternity or parental leave and representatives from faculty management.

The audit results provided a comprehensive overview of the current situation from the perspective of individuals employed at the Faculty of Education. The audit's outcome suggested areas that the Faculty of Education could further address as part of the overall improvement of the working environment and the establishment of equal opportunities.