Equal Opportunities Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (LGG NRW)

The Equal Opportunities Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG NRW) serves as the central statutory framework for equal opportunity measures. The law concretely defines the status, tasks and rights of equal opportunity officers. In accordance with this law, the Equal Opportunity Officer at the University of Münster is responsible for addressing matters related to equal opportunity and gender equality on behalf of all members and staff of the University.

§ 17 Responsibilities of the Equal Opportunity Officer

(1) The Equal Opportunity Officer supports and advises the university and is involved in the execution of this law, as well as all regulations and measures which have or could have an effect on gender mainstreaming. In particular, the scope of her responsibilities comprises:

1. personnel measures, including job advertisements, selection procedures and job interviews
2. organisational measures
3. social measures
4. drafting and amending a gender equality plan and reporting on its implementation, or proposing alternative models in accordance with § 6a
5. developing planning projects of fundamental importance for the employment relations or working conditions at the university

The Equal Opportunity Officer is a full-fledged member of assessment reviews and job evaluation committees.

(2) The responsibilities of the Equal Opportunity Officer also include consulting and supporting employees with regard to matters of gender mainstreaming.

LGG NRW [de]

Act on Higher Education (HG NRW)

The Act on Higher Education in North Rhine-Westphalia (Hochschulzukunftsgesetz NRW) defines the Equal Opportunity Officer’s scope of competence specifically within the university.  HG with justification

§ 24 Equal Opportunity Officer, Funding Allocation for Equal Opportunity-Related Measures
(1) The Principal Equal Opportunity Officer is responsible for addressing the concerns of women who are members or staff of the university. She works toward fulfilling the University’s gender equality directive. In particular, she endeavours to incorporate aspects relevant to equal opportunity into academic, administrative and technical operations, development planning, personnel and structural measures, and performance-based funding allocation. In order to carry out these tasks, she can participate in meetings of the University Electoral Assembly, the Senate, the Board of Governors, the Rectorate, the faculty boards, professorial appointment committees and other committees, and has the right to speak and table motions. Furthermore, she is to be notified of and invited to such meetings as a regular member.

(2) The statutes of the university stipulate the specific regulations pertaining to the election, appointment, and terms of office of the Principal Equal Opportunity Officer and her deputies. All female members of the university are eligible for election. The Equal Opportunity Officer should possess professional qualifications which enable her to fully meet the requirements of the position. This condition is met if the candidate has earned a university degree or, in individual cases, possesses an alternative type of professional qualification. The position must be advertised publicly at the university.

(3) The faculties appoint equal opportunity representatives and their deputies to carry out tasks at the faculty level. The equal opportunity representatives are responsible for integrating gender equality aspects into the operations of the faculties. They are allowed to represent the Principal Equal Opportunity Officer at meetings of the faculty boards, professorial appointment committees and other faculty committees. In accordance with special provisions in their statutes, faculties may choose to appoint a joint equal opportunity representative, provided the appointment is appropriate to the tasks and size of these faculties and is approved in consultation with the Equal Opportunity Officer.

(4) The university is to establish an Equal Opportunity Committee. This committee is responsible for advising and supporting the university and the Equal Opportunity Officer in fulfilling the gender equality directive. Specific details regarding the Equal Opportunity Committee are provided in the statutes of the university.

(5) The gender equality directive must be taken into account with regard to funding allocation to and within the universities. This especially applies to performance-based funding allocation, the development of gender equality financing models and the budgetary resources and discharge of the Equal Opportunity Officer.

(6) Otherwise, the provisions of the Equal Opportunities Act of North Rhine-Westphalia apply.