At VU Amsterdam, we stand up for gender equality. How do we ensure that everyone feels at home, has equal opportunities and is equally valued – both at our university and in society? Are we progressively witnessing greater inclusivity and equality, or do we still have a long way to go?
We still see social inequality in society. People’s opportunities and perspectives are still partly determined by gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality and religion. Reducing people to a single aspect of their identity promotes inequality. Insights, talents and skills therefore often remain underexploited or even unnoticed, undervalued or even unused.
Female leadership is a much-discussed topic, including at VU Amsterdam. Underrepresentation of women in leadership positions creates a shortage of female role models – in academia and beyond. Women have to work harder to be seen and heard. At the Women at the Top symposium, women at VU Amsterdam underscore the importance of female leaders in our society.
We also invite women from VU Amsterdam to have their say on this page. What expertise do they have that we can learn from? And what lessons can we take away from their experiences? Whether it’s about groundbreaking HIV research or development of the university’s education policy, expertise in new technologies or dialogue in times of polarisation... they all testify to the importance of gender equality at the top.
