CRUE Manifesto for 8M, International Women's Day

Equality

The UN declared March 8 as "International Women's Day" with the aim of vindicating women's rights and equal opportunities between women and men. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved in 2015, seeks to join forces to achieve effective equality in all fields through the Sustainable Development Goals, especially number five, referring to "Gender Equality."

The COVID-19 crisis has not only contributed to increasing sexist violence, it has also accentuated gender inequalities and highlighted the clear disadvantage of women and girls. The pandemic has intensified the care gap, which falls mainly on women and hinders their access and professional promotion, and with it, the wage gap and the impact that it will have on their pensions in the future.

Universities have been working for effective equality for years and we are aware that we are not an exception to these problems. The recent study "Gender pay gap in Spanish public universities", the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Universities, ANECA and Crue, reveals the existence of gender pay differences. These gaps are one more expression of the difficulties that women have in the development of their teaching and research careers, of the internal and external obstacles that they have to overcome to guarantee their stabilization and professional promotion, and of the need for work-life balance programs. and familiar to both sexes that allow maintaining the appropriate rhythm in teaching and research.

Although the presence of women in undergraduate studies exceeds that of men, their underrepresentation in positions of responsibility and in STEM careers is worrying. The growing importance of mastering technologies to access socially relevant occupations urges us to act to close the digital gender gap that already exists. Educational segregation is also observed in the low presence of men in degrees related to Education, care and attention to people, areas that are less prestigious by society. It is necessary to achieve balance to promote co-responsibility.

Crue, through the Gender Policies Working Group of its sectoral Sustainability commission and in collaboration with the Network of Gender Equality Units for University Excellence, wants to focus its claim on the fight against all these inequalities, from paper innovator of universities. The implementation of gender studies, the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in teaching, research and transfer, and social commitment are the most powerful ways to increase awareness and prevent discrimination.

It is obligatory to value the work and effort of the Equality units of the universities for the development of equality plans; the coordination of services for the elimination of violence against women; the promotion of training activities from the dimension of equality and non-discrimination, or the integration of the gender perspective in all university activities.

We cannot forget rural women, women with disabilities or migrants or those who have been silenced by sexist violence. In short, to all those who, at some point, have suffered discrimination for the simple fact of being women.

The university community ratifies the need to continue commemorating every March 8 and to continue fighting for effective equality between women and men every day of the year. It is our duty as institutions that promote a more just and egalitarian society.