Forschungszentrum Jülich is a partner in a research project entitled “GenderNetz” about gender bias in the career paths of women in engineering and information technology through informal funding relationships and networks. The project is funded within the framework of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s funding area concerning strategies for enforcing equal opportunities for women in education and research (FKZ 01FP1712).

The project addresses the following research questions:

• What is the relationship between informal networks and research careers in engineering and information technology?
• What is the composition of networks?
• How can networking potentials be implemented so that they help with career advancement?
• Can gender differences be observed in these aspects?

To answer these questions, interviews with engineers and computer scientists holding doctorates at Forschungszentrum Jülich and other institutions were conducted and analysed. In addition, managers and gender and diversity officers in the participating institutions and companies were consulted for their input.

See the GenderNetz brochure for the results.

Further information on the GenderNetz project website

Contact

On maternity/parental leave

Sabrina Schwarz

Referentin für Chancengerechtigkeit Spokesperson for Equal Opportunities

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 316

+49 2461/61-8032

E-Mail

Forschungszentrum Jülich has joined the GENERA Network by signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

Formerly funded by Horizon 2020, the Gender Equality Network in the European Research Area (GENERA) is an association of European science organizations. GENERA aims to support and optimize gender equality measures in European and international research institutions to establish a culture of learning and research in physics that is equally attractive and supportive for researchers at all career stages - regardless of gender or individual career path.
The GENERA network is a Europe-wide platform for professional exchange on gender in physics careers, and it organizes conferences and regular discussions between member organizations and generates relevant knowledge and a database. All these activities contribute to the goals and measures of Forschungszentrum Jülich in the field of equal opportunities by opening access to expertise on how to effectively achieve gender equality in the scientific context, sharing good practice examples, and creating a common database ("gender data in physics").

Contact

Antonia Illich

Leitung Büro für Chancengleichheit (BfC) Head of Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 324

+49 2461/61-2005

E-Mail

Girls at secondary school (years 7–10) can participate in career orientation days at Forschungszentrum Jülich.

These offer them practical insights into professions for which Jülich offers officially recognized vocational training and dual study courses (vocational training combined with a university course). The girls are given the opportunity to learn something new and put their abilities to the test in various workshops.

The career orientation days take place every year during the autumn holidays and are KAoA-certified. At the end of the event, the girls receive a certificate for taking part, which they can then present at school.

Current offers: JuGirls – Career orientation days for girls (in German)

The project is a cooperation between the JuLab Schools Laboratory, the Equal Opportunities Bureau, and the Vocational Training Centre.
Do you have questions or would you like to help arrange a career orientation day for female students at your institute? Then please do not hesitate to contact us.

For questions about registration:
Marcel Gülpen
Schülerlabor JuLab
Phone: 02461 61 1514
E-Mail: m.guelpen@fz-juelich.de

Contact

On maternity/parental leave

Sabrina Schwarz

Referentin für Chancengerechtigkeit Spokesperson for Equal Opportunities

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 316

+49 2461/61-8032

E-Mail

In February 2020, the “Jugend hackt” hackathon initiative in association with Forschungszentrum Jülich launched a special series of events aimed specifically at girls for the first time: During the hackathon “Jugend hackt – Mädchen vernetzen”, 20 girls aged between 12 and 18 turned the Jülich campus upside down while they busied themselves with puzzles, programming, and soldering. In addition, the girls got to know the Jülich Supercomputing Centre.

Jugend hackt is a programme to promote young programmers in German-speaking countries: In the spirit of the event’s motto, “improving the world with code”, the participants will work together to tinker with prototypes, digital tools, and concepts for their vision of a better society, with help from volunteer mentors.

Information and review of the hackathon at Forschungszentrum Jülich (in German).

Would you like to organize a hackathon or arrange a career orientation day for girls at your institute?

Contact

On maternity/parental leave

Sabrina Schwarz

Referentin für Chancengerechtigkeit Spokesperson for Equal Opportunities

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 316

+49 2461/61-8032

E-Mail

For over 100 years, International Women’s Day has been celebrated around the world on 8 March. On the one hand, it reminds us of the successes achieved in equality between men and women, and at the same time, it points out the discrimination that still exists.

Forschungszentrum Jülich regularly organises joint events for International Women's Day in the region together with the equality offices of the city of Jülich and the city of Linnich and the counselling centre for women and girls in the district of Düren.

Contact

Martina Brandt

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 314

+49 2461/61-2006

E-Mail

For young people, learning and pursuing a vocation is an essential part of planning their life. However, an examination of participation in the German labour market broken down by gender reveals a clear imbalance between women and men with regard to their chosen occupational fields.

Especially in STEM disciplines, the participation of women is very low. This begins with the low numbers of female students taking STEM classes in schools and extends to the choice of apprenticeships, courses of study, and even career. In the long term, this may lead to greater social inequality and horizontal labour market segregation, because participating in, for example, technological and computer science developments allows people to exercise decision-making power and to shape present and future society.

It is therefore particularly important to give young people the opportunity to test their strengths and abilities and expand their interests – regardless of existing gender stereotypes or gender-specific attributions. As a partner in the “Klischeefrei” initiative, Forschungszentrum Jülich is committed to providing just that.

In the various offers, campaigns, initiatives, and measures to promote women and girls in STEM subjects, Forschungszentrum Jülich takes care to enable career guidance to be free of stereotypes.
Further information on the initiative
Interview about the initiative with Sabrina Schwarz, equal opportunities spokesperson at Forschungszentrum Jülich (in German)

Contact

On maternity/parental leave

Sabrina Schwarz

Referentin für Chancengerechtigkeit Spokesperson for Equal Opportunities

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 316

+49 2461/61-8032

E-Mail

On maternity/parental leave

Sabrina Schwarz

Referentin für Chancengerechtigkeit Spokesperson for Equal Opportunities

• Equal Opportunities Bureau (BfC)

Building 04.7 /
Room 316

+49 2461/61-8032

E-Mail