Institutional Gender Equality Work and Its Challenges: Taking the Example of Lower Saxony and the University of Vechta

The practice of gender equality at German universities is undergoing immense changes, as are the universities themselves. The substantial changes to the academic system throughout Europe (e.g., the Bologna reforms, an increasing focus on economic principles, etc.) have led to new challenges and aggravating insecurities that particularly affect institutional mechanisms advancing and preserving gender equality. The universities find themselves in a neoliberal competition for funding, and thus are competing with each other in university rankings and for excellent scientists. Gender equality work and diversity (management) have become an integral part of academic service and play a vital part in fulfilling target agreements with the state ministries, as well as in the successfully acquisition of funding to obtain research and personnel. Taking the University of Vechta (Lower Saxony, Germany) as an example, the contribution analyzes the specific challenges and opportunities for institutional academic gender equality work. It discusses both the legal framework providing structure and boundaries to the practice of gender equality, as well as the potential of current theoretical concepts and their limitations. Lastly, it addresses scope for action and conditions of success for shaping a more gender-sensitive, diverse, and inclusive academic environment.