Resources to Improve Diversity

The promotion of equality and diversity is a cross-cutting task of the BIH. Following the concept of gender mainstreaming, our aim is not to reduce equality and diversity to individual measures, but to question all decision-making processes and measures implemented within the Institute with regard to potential gender-specific impacts or disadvantages for certain groups. The implementation of this Strategy is therefore the responsibility of all – but especially, of course, those employees who occupy supervisory and leadership roles.
On the following pages you can find information and support on how to reduce structural and cultural barriers in your immediate working environment, promote individuals and ensure equal opportunities for all.
Resources to Improve Diversity
-
What can I do?
Gender Sensitive Language
Language is a mirror of our social coexistence, but at the same time it is also an instrument of power that can be used to make inclusion and exclusion clear. Using gender-sensitive language is a simple but effective way to work towards equality for all genders. It can help counter stereotypical images and help overcome gender norms and role thinking.
The organizational culture of BIH should also be represented in the language we all use, so that all people, regardless of their gender identity, feel addressed and find themselves included in the respective expressions.
BIH recommends the wording in this brief summary. [link PDF]
Genderbias Calculator (erkennt in Texten Wörter, die eher mit Frauen und solche, die eher mit Männern assoziiert werden und macht diese kenntlich, auf Englisch)
Job Advertisment
When you advertise a job in your department/lab, make sure to use a balanced and gender sensitive language that includes female- and male coded terms. With the following tools you can check your advertisement.
http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/
https://textio.com/No all-male Panels at conferences
When organizing events, BIH strives to give a voice to different people and to have at least 40% of the speakers be women. When inviting to panel discussions, make sure that there is an adequate participation of female and male speakers, among others. This broadens the perspective and brings different positions into the debate.
Podcast: Science diversified: The men who say no to manels
Inclusive Events
Events promote exchange, networking and enable collaborations. However, due to structural disadvantages, not all people have the same opportunities to attend events or feel welcome there. People in wheelchairs may not have access to the building, people with hearing impairments may need support and written interpreters, parents may not have a place to breastfeed or change their baby, there are no gender-neutral restrooms for trans* and inter* people. These and other examples show that events and conferences are not equally accessible to all people. As organizers, you can take care to make your own event more inclusive. The following guide provides a good overview. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Equal Opportunity Office of the BIH. https://500womenscientists.org/inclusive-scientific-meetings
How to support deaf and hard-of-hearing researchers – an article
So, you want to host an inclusive and accessible conference? an article
-
Inclusive Language
German:
https://genderdecoder.wi.tum.de/
https://leidmedien.de/begriffe-ueber-behinderung-von-a-bis-z/
https://www.pangloss.de/cms/index.php?page=sprache-und-inklusion
https://www.uni-hamburg.de/gleichstellung/download/antirassistische-sprache.pdf
https://glossar.neuemedienmacher.de/glossar/prefix:a/ (Glossar zu antirassistischer Sprache)
https://www.fu-berlin.de/sites/diversity/antidiskriminierung/formen/sprache/index.html
English:
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/leg.)is-redact/legistics/p1p15.html
https://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/
https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/SUMOFUS_PROGRESSIVE-STYLEGUIDE.pdf
-
Databases
In order to increase the representation of women scientists at all levels, in addition to various visibility activities, networks and accesses are needed to find women scientists from different disciplines and learn more about them.
Hence, we would like to introduce you to databases that inform women scientists where to register to be visible nationally and internationally and at the same time offer easy access for committees, organisers and panels to reach women scientists worldwide.
Further below, you can find databases grouped by field categories and organised by region, academic position and focus groups. Please note that some of the databases are more broad: for example, worldwide or country-focused; broad academic positions (from Bachelors to Professors) or experts (junior research assistants and above), others are focused on certain groups or scientific fields. For each database you’ll find keywords and a short description which make navigation easier for you.
-
Unconscious bias
Unconscious Bias means prejudices and preferences for certain groups, people or things, which operate outside our conscious awareness. Theses stereotypes are shaped by our personal experiences and our cultural background. They influence our perception and jugdement in recruitment and selection processes and have a negative impact on the diversity in organizations.
To counteract unconscious bias it is important to become aware of it both on the individual and institutional level.
Recruitment Bias in Research Institutes des Institució CERCA
Unintended Bias
Myth of Meritocracy ,
Implicit Bias Test
Online Training zu Gender Bias (Uni Heidelberg) -
Networking with Other Initiatives
Offers from Charité/MDC
Office of Women's Affaits and Euqal Opportunities Charité
Motherhood /Care Work
Netzwerk Mutterschaft – Wissenschaft
Networks
Community of Practice: Gender Equality in Life Sciences
LGBTQ+ Berlin
-
Books and Reading Recommendation
Caroline Criado Perez: Unsichtbare Frauen
ReviewAngela Saini: Superior. The return of Race Science
ReviewPodcast “Science with Milk, No Sugar”
“With “Science with Milk, No Sugar” I also want to make it my mission to explore the situation for women in science and underrepresented groups in research and how it could be improved.”
https://franzisattler.com/podcast/Gender Diversity in Employment and Occupation - Link
