Equal opportunities

Equal Opportunities

DESY supports the careers of women

As regards to equal opportunities and gender equality, the equal opportunities officer, backed by the members of the women’s representation, supports among others that high-grade posts are increasingly staffed also with women and that barriers are broken down for women accessing leading positions.

Equal opportunities

Equal opportunities means the right to equal access to life chances and to vocational opportunities as well. It particularly includes the ban of discrimination: nobody should be restricted in her or his (career) opportunities because of age, gender or sexual identity; religion, social or cultural background, or disability.

The effort to achieve gender equality are expressions of democracy and the strive for fairness. The ban on discrimination are part of human rights. Equal opportunities are anchored in the German Constitution (Art. 3, paragraph 3). Moreover, regulations as the General Law on Equal Treatment govern equal opportunities.

Gender equality

Gender equality means the reduction of existing disadvantages which mostly concern women. The goal of equality work is to effectively promote the professional careers of women and to particularly improve their access and advancement opportunities. It properly takes into account skill, ability, professional performance and familial predisposition.

The quest for equality and the implementation of measures in this context are expressions of the strive for social fairness. Social fairness means participation of any woman and man in personal development opportunities and the possibility to live according to individual life plans.

Equal opportunities officer and women’s representation

The aim of the equal opportunities officer and women’s representation is to safeguard diversity at DESY by ensuring that the diversity of people working at DESY and respectful relations with each other are a particular strength of DESY – now and in the future.

Thus, all employees benefit from the work of the equal opportunities officer. To achieve equal opportunities and equality is a common task, for which all staff members and executives are responsible, with the target to recognise and make use of the potentials of women and men alike.