Gender Equality and Diversity

At the ZfL, equal opportunity is considered as a central principle guiding its institutional and staff development and a crucial commitment of the institute’s management. It supports the Leibniz Association's efforts in securing equality and diversity and firmly opposes any form of discrimination, be it on the basis of ethnic origin, gender, religion and belief, disability, age or sexual identity in accordance with the General Act on Equal Treatment (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG). The equality standards of the Leibniz Association and the Equality Implementing Agreement (Ausführungsvereinbarung Gleichstellung, AV-Glei) apply fully at the ZfL. The latter promotes the equality between women and men according to Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG) and the local state equality law (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG). Equality includes breaking down structural and cultural barriers (unconscious bias) and continually making it easier to combine an (academic) career, private life, and family for all employees. Implementing a guiding principle of equal opportunity and diversity means fostering a workplace culture that is sensitive to gender and diversity issues and cultivates a climate of respect in the workplace as well as in all forms of communication.

The equal opportunity officers advise the institute’s management and all employees in questions of gender equality, equal opportunity and combining family and career. They make sure everyday interaction on all levels is respectful of gender and diversity issues. In addition to the ombudspersons, they act as confidential points of contact for the members of the institute in cases of sexual discrimination, sexual assault or workplace bullying.

Audit workandfamily certificate

In 2022, for the first time, the ZfL received the audit workandfamily (berufundfamilie) certificate for the strategic design of its family and life-conscious personnel policy. The certificate, which is considered a quality label for a company’s or institution’s compatibility policy, is issued by the curatorium of the berufundfamilie Service GmbH. The certification requires a successful completion of the corresponding auditing process which determines the family and life-conscious policies already on offer and systematically develops the institution’s individual potential.

Signatory of the Charta der Vielfalt