CRUE Manifesto for March 8th, International Women's Day

Equality

The UN declared March 8th as "International Women's Day" to advocate for women's rights and equal opportunities between women and men. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015, seeks to unite efforts to achieve effective equality in all areas through the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 5, which focuses on "Gender Equality.".

The COVID-19 crisis has not only contributed to an increase in gender-based violence, but has also exacerbated gender inequalities and highlighted the clear disadvantage faced by women and girls. The pandemic has intensified the care gap, which falls disproportionately on women, hindering their access to and advancement in the workforce, and consequently widening the gender pay gap and impacting their future pensions.

Universities have been working for years towards effective equality and are aware that we are not exempt from these problems. The recent study "Gender Pay Gap in Spanish Public Universities," a result of collaboration between the Ministry of Universities, ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation), and CRUE (Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities), reveals the existence of gender pay differences. These gaps are yet another expression of the difficulties women face in developing their teaching and research careers, the internal and external obstacles they must overcome to ensure their job security and professional advancement, and the need for work-life balance programs for both sexes that allow them to maintain an adequate pace in their teaching and research activities.

Although women's enrollment in undergraduate programs surpasses that of men, their underrepresentation in leadership positions and STEM fields is concerning. The growing importance of technological proficiency for accessing socially relevant occupations urges us to take action to close the existing gender digital divide. Educational segregation is also evident in the low number of men in degrees related to education, care, and social work—fields that are less prestigious in society. Achieving balance is essential to fostering shared responsibility.

Crue, through the Gender Policy Working Group of its Sustainability Sectoral Commission and in collaboration with the Network of Gender Equality Units for University Excellence, aims to focus its advocacy on combating all these inequalities, leveraging the innovative role of universities. The implementation of gender studies, the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in teaching, research, and knowledge transfer, and social commitment are the most effective ways to raise awareness and prevent discrimination.

It is essential to recognize the work and effort of university equality units in developing equality plans; coordinating services to eliminate violence against women; promoting training activities from the perspective of equality and non-discrimination; and integrating a gender perspective into all university activities.

We cannot forget rural women, women with disabilities, or migrants, nor those silenced by gender-based violence. In short, we cannot forget all those who, at some point, have suffered discrimination simply for being women.

The university community reaffirms the need to continue commemorating March 8th and to keep 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 equitable society.