Gender & Diversity Portal
From time immemorial and in all cultures of the world, it has been part of the ethos of the helping professions to provide help without regard to the person. Medical, therapeutic and nursing care must always be geared towards the well-being of the patient.
Hannover Medical School and each individual employee assume a special responsibility for the people who entrust themselves to their care. Active gender and diversity management supports and strengthens this responsibility. The MHH developed a gender and diversity strategy back in 2012 in an interdisciplinary working group with funding from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.
English information:
In 2012 a group of experts at Hannover Medical School under the head of the gender equality officer and supported by a small fund from Lower Saxony's Ministry of Science and Culture developped a strategy paper on Gender and Diversity. Based on the ethics not only for physicians but for all health care professionals it was commonly agreed that MHH should install and explicitly commit to a Gender and Diversity Strategy.
As Categories of Diversity for MHH's strategy were adopted the six discriminating features of the German Federal Antidiscrimination Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG)): Age, Disability (according to the WHO definition), Ethnic Background, Gender (as a cross cutting category), Religion/Philosophy of Life and Sexual Orientation/Identity. As additional, equally important categories were accepted: Family Situation, especially Parenthood, and Social Status.
A couple of measures have been proposed to ensure a discrimination free culture for work and study at the university, some of which could already be translated into reality. For example there has been established this website, where to find relevant literature as well as information on guidance centers for the different categories of diversity inside and outside MHH. Also Guidelines for responding to sexualized discrimination an violence at MHH have been adopted by the Senate of the university. Already in 2013 MHH signed as a member of the Charter of Diversity (Charta der Vielfalt), a coalition of German organizations and companies supporting diversity.
Gender diversity at universities
Based on the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) on October 10, 2017, the German Civil Status Act (PStG) was amended on December 18, 2018. There are now four options for recording gender: male, female, diverse, no registration. The decision of the Federal Constitutional Court strengthens the legal right to protection of gender self-determination and is therefore also groundbreaking for trans* people and people who identify as non-binary.based on the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) of October 10, 2017, the Civil Status Act ( PStG) was amended in Germany on December 18, 2018. There are now four options for recording gender: male, female, diverse, no registration. The BVerfG's decision strengthens the legal right to protection of gender self-determination and is therefore also groundbreaking for trans* people and people who identify as non-binary.
bukof has now developed recommendations for action for gender diversity at universities with the aim of making gender diversity at universities more visible and strengthening it.
You can also find the short legal opinion by Dr. jur. Louis Kasten for the University of Kassel from 16.10.2019 on the importance of the 'third option' at universities here. It deals with the reduction of discrimination against non-binary and binary intersex and transgender people.
"The aim of the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) is to prevent or eliminate discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity.
Protection against discrimination in employment and occupation is the main focus of the AGG in accordance with the provisions of the Directive. In addition to a prohibition of discrimination under employment law and its exceptions, it also regulates measures and obligations of the employer to protect against discrimination as well as the legal rights of employees (right to lodge a complaint, right to refuse performance) and their claims in the event of violations of the prohibition of discrimination (compensation, damages).
The AGG also contains provisions for protection against discrimination in civil law transactions. In addition to a prohibition of discrimination under civil law on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, a gender-specific prohibition of discrimination is also enshrined here. However, in accordance with European law, this only applies to mass transactions and private insurance policies.
The General Equal Treatment Act, which is intended to ensure the implementation of four EU equal treatment directives, came into force on August 18, 2006." (Source: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, 2010)
Dear colleagues,
In order to make Hannover Medical School more non-discriminatory and gender-equitable, the Equal Opportunities Office, in consultation with the Presidium, has drawn up a guide to non-discriminatory writing. This guide explains what "gendering" actually means, what the AGG has to do with it, how non-discriminatory writing can work in everyday life and where the MHH is already implementing these approaches. You can download the guide here here.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Have fun reading and trying it out!
