International Women’s Day on 8 March: Closing the “Leaky Pipeline” Together

Like many other universities, the University of Mannheim is confronted with the so-called “leaky pipeline”: Women are often well-represented in the early stages of academic training, but their numbers decline with each subsequent career step. Women remain particularly underrepresented in professorships and leadership positions.

The numbers at the University of Mannheim
The university’s own statistics reflect this phenomenon: while 42 percent of postdocs at the University of Mannheim are women, their share drops to 30 percent among junior professors, and only 23.5 percent of full professors are women (as of 1 December 2024).

What is the University of Mannheim doing to change this?
To counteract this development, the university actively promotes equal opportunities. A key component of these efforts are the Guidelines for Appointment (only available in German) and the accompanying fact sheets, which were developed based on the latest research. Additionally, the university’s Department of Equal Opportunity and Diversity offers a wide range of support measures – from mentoring programs and professional development opportunities to family-friendly structures. All these measures are anchored in the University of Mannheim’s Gender Equality Plan (only available in German).

Further Information and Opportunities for Input
You can find more information about the leaky pipeline and the university’s specific support measures on the website of the Department of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

Do you have ideas on how we can further improve equal opportunities at all career levels at the University of Mannheim? The university’s Central Equal Opportunity Commissioner, Prof. Dr. Astrid Lembke, welcomes your suggestions.