Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

International Women's Day - March 8th

We celebrate the countless women who have fought tirelessly for Equality, Justice and Freedom. At the BCDSS, we recognize and honor the contributions of women who have advanced in their fields despite systemic barriers and discrimination. We stand in solidarity with all women worldwide and pledge to fight for gender equality in academia and beyond.

In light of the International Women's Day, we have gathered some of the great research carried out by female BCDSS members as well as by any BCDSS members who published gender-related research in the recent past.

To learn more about the valuable contributions, click here.

We embrace diversity and gender equality. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment and fair treatment for all our members. We attach great importance to fostering a multinational community.

We are determined to achieve a balanced ratio of genders in all of our administrative and scientific branches. Therefore, we pay attention to it from the bottom up when employing new faculty members.

The overall quota of 57% non-German recruitment out of a total of 29 countries bears testimony to a multinational research environment at the BCDSS.

We are enthusiastic about bringing diverse perspectives together to create an environment where we can all grow together. We are committed to raising awareness to avoid discrimination. Special support is given to groups likely to face structural disadvantages, like non-binary people, people who are discriminated on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, physically challenged researchers and early career women. We promote a family-friendly working environment.

With an overall percentage of 63,5% of female recruitment (including researchers, management team and BCDH team), we have exceeded our goal of 50% female employees across all positions.

Our Commitment

Bottom up approach to equal opportunities and diversity

All BCDSS members are invited to an annual meeting to discuss and develop ideas to improve equal opportunities for all members of the BCDSS. All ideas and especially open discussion are an exciting opportunity to get to know each other better. The results of the meetings are implemented by the BCDSS Equal Opportunity Representative who is elected from among all BCDSS members.

The Equal Opportunity Representative is a permanent member of the BCDSS Steering Committee² - the main decision making body of the BCDSS.

Equal distribution of appointments

The BCDSS considers equal opportunity and diversity one of our top priorities. We strive for gender balance and diversity in the filling of all positions. Records are kept of all hiring processes, making them transparent for all. The BCDSS actively aims to recruit a minimum of 50% female researchers on all levels. After completion of our planned recruitments, we have exceeded our own aims by achieving an overall percentage of 63,5% of female recruitment.

Find out more about our Equal Opportunity Strategy³

Secure contracts for early career researchers

In light of ongoing debates on precarious work conditions in academic job positions, we at the BCDSS have decided to offer secure postdoctoral contracts until the end of the funding period to all early career researchers (i.e. up to 7-year contracts) and make 4-year contracts the standard duration for PhD candidate contracts.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the BCDSS Steering Committee decided on 30 June 2021 to extend PhD researcher’s contracts for up to 12 months upon application to the BCDSS Steering Committee. Through this measure we ensure the opportunity to successfully finish PhD projects that are interrupted or had to be changed altogether due to Covid-19.

The BCDSS Steering Committee also decided that the contracts of employees who take parental leave will be extended for the duration of the parental leave.

Creating a family-friendly working environment

The BCDSS is committed to providing a family-friendly working environment. We understand family as a concept that may consist of all kinds of family situations ("traditional", single-parent family situations of both genders, as well as LGBTQI* parenting) and include all kinds of family care responsibilities like parenting but also taking care of family members.

Working hours are flexible. BCDSS members with family care responsibilities are given full flexibility to work from home whenever necessary.

We aim to have meeting times that are compatible with family duties. BCDSS members with family care responsibilities can be supported by student assistants at short notice. We are committed to finding individual solutions for individual needs. The University of Bonn has been certified as a “Family Friendly University” since 2011 and, therefore, offers great central institutional support through its Family Office⁴⁴⁴³.

Together with the Clusters of Excellence PhenoRob⁵⁵⁵ and EconTribute⁶⁶⁶ we have a fully equipped "family room" in Niebuhrstraße 1a available for all BCDSS members with childcare responsibilities.

Additional funds for accompanying children and/or partners when attending conferences, as well as child care support for events during hours that are not usually covered by standard child care facilities are available upon application.

On 30 June 2021 the BCDSS Steering Committee decided that the contracts of employees who take parental leave will be extended for the duration of the parental leave.

BCDSS Diversity Certificate

The University of Bonn is a signatory of the “Charta der Vielfalt” ⁷⁷(Charter of Diversity). The BCDSS as a part of the University of Bonn is committed to creating a safe place for scholarship that is free from any racist and discriminatory structures. With the BCDSS Diversity Certificate, we do not only raise awareness of all topics related to racism and discrimination, and how to build a safe space for all our researchers: we also actively train our members in dedicated courses and seminars on how to embrace and enhance diversity in the work place.

Mentoring and training program

In cooperation with the University of Bonn’s Equal Opportunity Office, the BCDSS offers mentoring and training within the MeTra program⁷ especially for female post-docs. To ensure that all BCDSS members have access to mentoring and training, the BCDSS offers consulting on how to identify a mentor.

The BCDSS also offers trainings and seminars on leadership, recruitment training, supervision of theses, time management, etc. for our members.

Creating EO for Tomorrow

Our MA programs not only create awareness and encourage reflections on the connections between (historical) strong asymmetrical dependencies and discrimination and social injustice through their contents, we also aim to reduce unequal access to them and to create equal opportunities among the student community by digitization and financial support.

We work towards a hybrid mode of teaching in order to also make our programs accessible for students with disabilities or those who are carers for children or family members.

Limited financial means can create inequality and discrimination when it comes to international students. In order to include students who cannot afford to move to Germany, we offer positions for student assistants and actively support applicants in finding funding for their studies in Germany. In addition, we also lend laptops to financially disadvanteged students to ensure they are able to fully engage in their MA studies.

BCDSS Diversity Certificate

Diversity is a vital asset of our society today. At the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, we therefore see it as our task to contribute to ensuring that diversity in all of its dimensions - age, dis/ability, ethnic origin & nationality, gender & gender identity, religion & belief, sexual orientation & identity, and social origin - is understood as a strength and an element contributing to the success of our joint work at the BCDSS.

With the Diversity Certificate, we have created an institutionalized framework in which we not only draw attention to elements of diversity, but also offer our students, researchers and staff the opportunity to further their education. Through the information and the training program we offer, we create spaces for interaction and the exchange of knowledge. These contribute to making diversity the norm/normal. At the same time, the members of the BCDSS will be trained as a diverse team, thus further sharpening and enhancing our sense of community. We are all responsible for a constructive, open and positive working environment.

Click here to view the poster in original size.