KADİR HAS UNIVERSITY GENDER EQUALITY PLAN

KADİR HAS UNIVERSITY GENDER EQUALITY POLICY

Gender inequality is still one of the most common social problems both in Turkey and throughout the world in particular as a matter of justice and human rights. The problem of gender inequality includes the types of marginalization and discrimination faced by individuals based on gender. This covers all types of current practices and power imbalances concerning social patterns that appear as gender-based violence and discrimination. To attain the target of gender equality, it is required to question the power imbalances and unequal gender dynamics and, encourage fair access to resources and opportunities.

All people must be treated fairly and with dignity without any discrimination based on gender, ethnic origin, belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, and similar grounds, which is a matter of human rights. As an academic institution embracing universal values, Kadir Has University also accepts this approach. As it is provided in article 10 of our Constitution, “Everyone is equal before the law without distinction as to language, race, color, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, and sect, or any such grounds.” Article 10 of the Constitution guarantees that it is the positive and direct obligation of the state to put into practice gender equality and, that positive action will not mean discrimination (Additional paragraph: 7/5/2004-5170/Article 1).

Our country is also one of the parties to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Gender equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals that are explained in 17 articles by the United Nations. Likewise, gender equality is one of the priority policies of the Council of Europe of which Turkey is a member, and the Council of Europe sets forth the targets and methods in the Gender Equality Strategy documents in order to put into practice this policy.

Considering the academic principles and the objectives of the Policy on Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination; the Policy Document Intended to Prevent Gender-Based Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault as well as the Directives and Practices of the Unit to Prevent Gender-Based Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault; the research, projects and activities of the Gender and Women Studies Research Center on gender inequality and the Gender Studies Ph.D. Program, Kadir Has University is one of the few universities that directly deal with gender-based inequalities in Turkey and, has committed itself to serving as a role model developing the best practices in terms of gender equality.

The main objectives the KHAS Gender Equality Plan (GEP) are as follows:

1. Eliminate gender-based discriminatory practices in the fields of recruitment, employment security and career development of employees and, create practices intended to improve gender equality.
2. Make visible gender unbalances in the decision-making processes and take measures to establish gender equality to improve collaborative and coherent working processes, engagement, and transparency.
3. Create and make sustainable a safe and supportive working environment, where there is no gender-based violence, and there is no discrimination in conducts and behaviors for academic and administrative staff, the outsourced personnel, and the students.
4. Strengthen the balance of gender by means of considering the gender perspective in all the scientific fields for both the content of research and various processes of research such as the formation of teams, and the publication of results.

In order to attain these objectives, within the framework of the GEP, Kadir Has University aims to take necessary steps in:

• Corporate culture, management, and leadership mechanisms as well as corporate directions, encouragements and directives,
• All the areas and processes forming the campus climate and during the procedures intended to further strengthen the gender equality perspective among the academic and administrative staff, the outsourced employees, and the students,
• Career development, the management of recruitment and promotion processes, the consideration of work-life balance, as well as private/temporary conditions concerning private life such as birth, having children, the necessity to take care of relatives for leaves and promotions,
• Educational processes and curricula and,
• Research processes,

in order to ensure and enforce the gender equality policies and principles.

KADİR HAS UNIVERSITY GENDER EQUALITY ACTION PLAN

To prevent any type of gender-based discrimination and sexist attitudes and behaviors within the framework of the main themes listed in detail above within the organization of Kadir Has University, the KHAS Gender Equality Action Plan has been drafted in a way that contains the details on the information, enforcement and application aspects thereof.

1. Corporate Culture, Management, and Leadership

Gender Equality Committee

A Gender Equality Committee (GEC) will be established, which is to be identified by and will operate reporting to the President. This committee will consist of academic staff, administrative staff and students, and meet on a regular basis to determine policies and make efforts in respect of gender equality. For the formation of the GEC, those who work in the field of gender equality and who are trained in this field will be prioritized. The GEC makes efforts to ensure not only the permanent staff and students of the university but also the businesses serving to our university and their employees accommodate themselves to the policies in the field of gender equality.  Accordingly, the main tasks of the committee will be the activities of due diligence, continuing education, and monitoring and evaluation.  The efforts made within the organization of the GEC will be reported to the senior management on a regular basis.

Due Diligence: The GEC will carry out necessary quantitative and qualitative data collections intended to determine the current condition of Kadir Has University in respect of gender equality. Within the scope of these efforts, the data will be analyzed in respect of the titles of researchers and academic staff, the male & female percentages by faculties, departments and units, and the male female male percentages among the conductors and researchers of the research projects and, the authors of the publications. In addition, the conditions and needs of those who feel that they are exposed to discrimination due to their gender identity and sexual orientation among the university staff and students will be identified by means of the reports from the Unit to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (UPSHSA).

Continuing Education: Seminars, workshops and projects will be organized with the participation of all the stakeholders within the scope of a time schedule that is to be jointly prepared by the faculties and the KHAS GEC in order to enhance the knowledge and awareness of the academicians, researchers, administrative staff, outsourced personnel and students in respect of sexual discrimination, and the affects thereof will be measured in a structured way.

Monitoring and Evaluation: After the formation of the KHAS GEC, the statistical and qualitative studies detailed under the title “Due Diligence” will be renewed every year, and the developments will be monitored and reported by the KHAS GEC to the President.

2. Campus Climate

Our university aims to create a campus climate, which is egalitarian, libertarian, dialogue-based, engaging, inclusive, accessible to all the society members and where any type of gender-based discriminatory attitude, behavior and practice are completely excluded. It is one of the priorities of our university in respect of the campus climate to ensure that all the members, in particular, the students, academic and administrative personnel and outsourced personnel, are aware of the concept of gender equality.

3. Career Development, Recruitment Process and Work-Life Balance

There is already a gender balance established in our university in respect of the number of both the students and the academic and administrative staff. In addition, significant steps have been taken with the intention to ensure gender equality in the employment and performance directives after the updates thereon in 2018, 2019 and 2020. There have been some improvements, for example, an academic person who takes a maternity/parental leave will not be included in the annual performance for a period of one year following the year they restarted to work, and the period used for these leaves will be added to the periodic performance period. Nevertheless, the concept of gender equality is a dynamic area so that it must be continuously monitored in the career development and recruitment processes, and thus the current improvement areas must be identified and, new practices must be developed accordingly. Our university takes necessary steps in cooperation with the KHAS GEC and the Directorate of Human Resources in order to ensure gender equality in the career development and recruitment processes.

4. Educational Processes and Curriculum

All the faculties and departments will set and announce their targets for the gender equality in compliance with the KHAS Gender Equality Plan detailed hereunder, monitoring the results thereof and, considering them in the respective performance evaluation processes.

A short paragraph, which summarizes the policies against any type of violence and discrimination in all the processes of the university including the courses and activities affiliated therewith, and the rules and sanctions considering thereto, to all the curricula, and this text will highlight the safeguarding of gender equality. In addition, it will be encouraged to include the gender equality aspect in the respective course into the curricula.

5. Research

It is one of the priorities of our university in the field of research to monitor the gender data in the research deliverables such as research projects and publications, and to develop and put into practice a mentorship system in the respective areas. It is aimed to ensure improvement through a merit-based system in terms of fulfilling the criteria of appointments and promotions by means of enhancing the research competencies and deliverables of all the faculty members and researchers, leading to equality between men and women among the academic staff for all positions.

It is one of the main approaches of our university to safeguard gender equality in all the research processes and all the events, where the research deliverables are shared internally and externally such as conferences and panels in line with our gender equality approach.