International Women’s Day 2024 |

Zwei Studentinnen lehnen Rücken an Rücken draußen auf einer Bank. Sie haben beide eine Trinkflasche in der Hand.

International Women's Day on 8 March draws attention worldwide to the concerns of women and girls in all their diversity. In Germany, like in many other countries, gender equality has still not been achieved. Among other things, this is illustrated by the gender pay gap which remained unchanged from the year before: According to the Federal Statistical Office, women still earn 18 percent less than men.

This year's theme for International Women's Day is Inspire Inclusion. The aim is to open an intersectional perspective and create greater visibility for women with disabilities. A study by Aktion Mensch on women with severe disabilities has shown that besides low income for people with disabilities in general, there are significant wage differences between women and men. More participation for women can be achieved through flexible working hours or accessible training opportunities.

Structural inequalities also exist in the academic system, as shown by the leaky pipeline. Current statistics from the University of Mannheim confirm that the proportion of female academics among postdocs remains strong at 43 percent but drops to 37 percent among junior professors and to 22 percent among professors. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon continues to be the challenge of balancing family responsibilities and career. Professor Claudia Goldin of Harvard University demonstrated this in her research on gender-specific differences in the American labor market (PDF): According to Goldin, wage gaps increase after the birth of the first child, even though women often have higher levels of education than men. Last October, she received the Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for her work.

Gender equality at the University of Mannheim

For us at the University of Mannheim, equality between women and men is an important goal in university policy. To counteract the phenomena described above, we are implementing the following measures:

Institutional strengthening of gender equality work by placing it at the leadership level with the vice presidency
Promotion of female scientists in the early stages of their careers through bridging financing and programs
Expansion of evidence-based gender equality work, including a gender monitoring system
Improving the compatibility of studies, career, science, and family, for example, through counseling, part-time work, remote work, ad-hoc childcare, reserved places in the childcare center, and much more
Cooperation with the women researcher’s network WUMAN

For more information on equality and diversity issues, visit the new Diversity website as well as the websites of the Department of Equal Opportunity and Social Diversity, the Equal Opportunity Commissioner, the Representative for Employees with a Disability and the University's Central Equal Opportunity Commissioner.

Events in Mannheim on 8 March

3:30 p.m. Event and speech by DBG women at the Abendakademie: „Europa- und Kommunalwahlen 2024 – Demokratie stärken!“ – U1 16-19, 68161 Mannheim, free entry
6–10 p.m. Guided tours at MARCHIVUM: Thematische Führungen in beiden Dauerausstellungen zur Frauengeschichte, – Archivplatz 1, 68169 Mannheim, free entry
6 p.m. Lecture at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum: „Starke Frauen aus den Kulturen der Welt“ – D5, 68159 Mannheim, free entry
7:30 p.m. Film screening: „WOMAN“ – COMMUNITYartCENTERmannheim, Mittelstr. 17, 68169 Mannheim, free entry
8 p.m. Amina Aminger reads from „Identity & Dignity: How Walking Away Paralysed from Abuse Paved my Path of Soul-Discovery“ – Queeres Zentrum Mannheim, G7 14, 68159 Mannheim, free entry

You can find further information on events relating to the International Women's Day and feminist topics in the “MannHeim als FrauenOrt” event calendar of the city of Mannheim.

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