Equality in terms of gender, sexual orientation and identity
The University is committed to promoting equal opportunities for men and women and at combating all kinds of discrimination in University life.
That is why it has taken action on behalf of its staff and the University community as a whole, by organising seminars, hosting public meetings, setting up educational projects and pursuing national and international research projects.
The University of Milan has been collaborating with other universities for a number of years now, with the aim of broadening the effects of its work by setting up academic networks and synergies that have a strong interdisciplinary approach.
Launched to raise awareness against this rampant phenomenon, the project involves the academic world, students, judges, lawyers, journalists and violence centres.
Along with the University of Milan, the founders of the observatory are the Court of Milan, the women's shelter Casa di Accoglienza delle Donne Maltrattate di Milano, and the magazine Il Giallo, published by Cairo.
This University is part of a 10-strong network of Italian universities combating violence, which is working towards initiating permanent cooperation on this topic with the involvement of all Italian universities and European networks, including cooperation with the Council of Europe.
The objective of the network is to launch the educational, scientific, social and cultural activities envisaged by the Istanbul Convention.
An inter-university centre for research into gender equality, which comprises 6 universities in Milan: the University of Milan, the Bicocca University, Milan Polytechnic University, Iulm, San Raffaele University and Bocconi University.
The Centre is focussed on pursuing ongoing research and positive action regarding equality in general and contributing to increasing and ensuring the respect of women's dignity and worth.
The Gender Equality Plan (GEP) of the University of Milan outlines the University's gender equality strategy based on gender mainstreaming. This approach introduces a gender perspective in policies in order to combat the inequalities between women and men in society. Both a strategic and operational document, the GEP is closely associated with the Gender Score Card process and the Positive Action Plan (PAP).
A specific work group designed, wrote and implemented the GEP in synergy with the University's governance, Equal Opportunity Committee (CUG) and other offices as part of a collaborative process that made it possible to overcome obstacles and objections and to enhance research, skills and diversity.
The GEP is based on the guidelines established by the European Commission, on the advice provided by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to identify and implement innovative strategies for sparking cultural change and fostering equal opportunities in higher education and research, as well as on the “Handbook for Writing a GEP” generated by the CRUI Commission on Gender Issues (2021). The GEP was approved by the Academic Senate on 14 December 2021 and by the Board of Directors on 21 December 2021.
Gender Budgeting is an instrument for implementing the gender mainstreaming strategy that is essential for assessing the impact of academic policies over time, striving toward equal opportunities in the workplace, research, and the classroom, improving wellbeing on the job, and creating an inclusive work environment.
Gender Budgeting for the University of Milan is a tool for both analysis and strategy-setting that examines the historical gender distribution series for the various components of the entire university community in order to obtain the elements required for reducing the gender gap.
From the point of view of social accountability, Gender Budgeting is relevant both for reporting the actions undertaken and the resources used, and for highlighting the responsibilities connected with the institutional role of universities. The University has set up a dedicated work group for preparing the score card according to the CRUI guidelines.
Models and behaviours are shaped by language, and social inequalities are perpetuated by discourse. In addition to contributing to the affirmation of individual and collective identities, words are a very powerful means of hiding or revealing a whole realm, of denying or affirming rights.
Despite the great changes that have taken place in the social representations of gender and sexual orientation, there is still androcentric language, both at the individual and institutional level, which must be changed to give visibility to the roles and functions of women, and avoid discriminatory use of language.
The result of a fruitful cooperation drawing on multidisciplinary, diverse skills, the University's Gender Lexicon intends to suggest a primary range of solutions and to encourage the dissemination of a gender-diversity-aware language.
The University is active in the fight to protect human rights and children's rights: in particular, in terms of orientation and sexual identity, it is of fundamental importance to combat homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.In this respect it is essential to pursue action aimed at eliminating homophobia and to strive for the acknowledgment of rights within the University of Milan for transitioning individuals.
An example of this kind of action is the UNIMI-Inclusive Project, which in collaboration with the University of Milan and UNAR (the National Anti-discrimination Body), is aimed at introducing students and future students to the range of activities underway at the University to combat all forms of discrimination, including relating to sexual orientation.
In 2018, the University of Milan issued a policy regulating the activation and management of an identity alias for transitioning students, which promotes the acknowledgment of the rights of transitioning students at the University. The process entails activating a specific administrative process for anyone who requests it that allows students to acquire an identity alias for the purpose of the change of records further to transitioning.
