Gender Equality Plan

Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport (UkrSURT)
for 2024–2027

         Gender equality is one of the core principles of human rights and applies to both men and women. According to this concept, every person, regardless of gender, age, race, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, physical abilities, etc., has equal value to others. The very idea of equal rights, opportunities and value for every individual regardless of gender is gender equality. At the same time, the needs of different groups of men and women may differ significantly, that is, have distinct characteristics, which means that the methods and approaches that must take their needs into account must be different. Under no circumstances should social, physiological or cultural differences between men and women be grounds for establishing inequality.

The Gender Equality Plan has been developed in accordance with Articles 21 and 24 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which state that all citizens have equal constitutional rights, opportunities and freedoms and are equal before the law, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men’, the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Principles of Preventing and Combating Discrimination in Ukraine’ , the Labour Code of Ukraine, the Laws of Ukraine ‘On Education’, ‘On Higher Education’, ‘On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity’, and taking into account the provisions of Ukraine’s international treaties and obligations, in particular the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 5 ‘Gender Equality’), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Plan is also based on the European Union’s recommendations on ensuring gender equality, the principles of the European Research Area (ERA), the EU Strategy on Gender Equality, and the requirements of the Horizon Europe programme regarding the existence of a Gender Equality Plan in organisations participating in international scientific and educational projects. The Plan is implemented in accordance with the University’s internal regulatory documents, in particular the Statutes and the Collective Agreement.

In recent years, issues of gender equality have become highly topical and have taken on particular significance. Respect for the equal rights of men and women is a hallmark of a democratic state, especially at a time when the question of integration into the European community is on the agenda. The policy of European Union member states is to prevent any form of discrimination, particularly on the grounds of gender, in all spheres of society. Furthermore, one of the means of democratising society is a strategy to create equal opportunities for women and men, including in the field of education.

The Gender Equality Plan of the Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport (UkrSURT) has been drawn up with the aim of ensuring a university policy aimed at preventing discrimination on any grounds, realising the legal status of both men and women in employment relations, raising awareness among staff and students regarding their rights and freedoms, combating gender bias, and creating the most comfortable conditions possible for all participants in the educational process.

This plan has been developed for all university staff and students based on the results of a gender analysis. In particular, the following issues were examined:

• analysis of the distribution of university staff according to various criteria (academic qualifications, position) and students by gender;
• assessment of measures aimed at ensuring gender equality at the university;
• identification and prevention of future shortcomings related to gender inequality.

The gender analysis (Table 1) of university staff is based on the distribution by gender, position and academic degree (as of 1 September 2024).

Таблиця 1- Distribution of UkrSURT Staff and Students by Gender

The university’s gender equality plan provides for the following:

• ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all university staff
• ensuring that staff fulfil their professional duties appropriately;
• developing a corporate culture;
• continuously disseminating information on equality and the prevention of discrimination;
• ensuring a work-life balance;
• implementing the principles of gender equality both in recruitment and in the resolution of day-to-day issues and career progression;
• integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching content;
• organising regular training sessions, seminars and webinars on gender equality that completely eliminate discrimination, violence and sexual harassment;
• cooperation with relevant civil society organisations, research institutions and experts on gender issues, including the involvement of experts in the development and updating of internal documents;
• conducting cross-cutting activities, implementation, awareness-raising and monitoring of the Gender Equality Plan.

The university has introduced flexible forms of work and study organisation, and has fostered a culture of mutual respect, non-discrimination and support for diversity. Furthermore, equal access to opportunities is ensured regardless of gender.

The Gender Equality Plan enables every individual to realise their full potential, regardless of gender, age, nationality, religious beliefs, etc.

To assess the effectiveness of educational activities taking place at the university, a systematic, anonymous survey is conducted to gauge the awareness of all participants in the educational process regarding, among other things, issues of gender equality, with the results subsequently used to improve the quality of the educational process. The results of the survey are published on the university’s official website. Raising awareness of gender equality issues is viewed as an ongoing process that supports the implementation of the Plan and contributes to the creation of an inclusive, safe and non-discriminatory environment at the university.

The university has established a safe environment, developed clear procedures for preventing, reporting and responding to such incidents, and ensured the confidentiality and protection of victims. Should any questions arise regarding gender equality, you may contact the university administration, a counsellor, the Centre for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, deans or tutors.

In light of the above, all measures implemented by the university to ensure gender equality can be summarised as follows:

Measures for Implementing the Gender Equality Plan