Gender Equality in Academia and Research
Election procedure for the Board (BE)
In 2014, Ghent University (Belgium) changed its procedures for the election of its highest decision-making body, the Board of Governors (Raad van Bestuur) by requesting a 40/60 % gender-balanced representation of its members. As soon as the new procedure was implemented for the first time, it has instantly changed the university’s male-dominated board: gender balance was achieved for the first time in the university’s history. In the new procedure, faculties are required to have at least one male and one female candidate for the elections. If the elections have an unbalanced gender outcome (not respecting the minimum 40/60 gender balance) the candidate with the least votes from the overrepresented sex (compared to other faculties) has to give way to the faculty’s candidate of the other sex with the highest number of votes.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- News about the Board of Governors of Ghent University
- Procedures for the election of the members of the Board of Governors (in Dutch)
- Regulations on the procedure for the appointment of members of the Executive Board (in Dutch)
- Rules for the composition of (advisory) boards and commissions (in Dutch)
- Rules for the composition, operational and decision-making processes of boards (in Dutch)
- Diversity and Gender Policy Unit at Ghent University
- Presentation by Tine Brouckaert at Learning and Dissemination Seminar on Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Higher Education Institutions (9 September 2016)
- Full description on EIGE's compendium of good practices
- Contact details: Tine Brouckaert (Tine.Brouckaert@UGent.be)