The panel discussion on the impact of budget cuts on gender equality is part of a WISE event on the same topic. The table was filled with high-ranking university officials, including Patrick Groothuis, Vice President of the Executive Board, and the new HRM Director, Nicole Mølby-Bueters. She emphasized that the university wants to continue moving “full speed ahead” in pursuing gender equality.

This is a deliberate choice by the university’s leadership, agrees Jolie van Wevelingen, Managing Director of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering. “I’m a little confused by the question. Why would budget cuts negatively affect gender equality?” She argues that when building a community together, gender equality is one of the basic things that must be done right.

However, the discussion moderator notes that there is reason to at least ask the question. Budget cuts could lead universities to focus more on their “core activities” and reduce funding for diversity programs or grants aimed at increasing diversity.

The government has indeed eliminated starter grants, Groothuis points out, but that affects all young people. He emphasizes: “Governments come and go, so think carefully about how you vote next time.” According to him, the university actively chooses not to cut funding in certain areas, and gender equality is one of them.

Minority

Professor Anja Pasmans of Chemical Engineering does see potential issues arising from the budget cuts. At some faculties, she notes, the cuts mean that no new staff are being hired—and therefore no additional women—so the male-to-female ratio cannot be further balanced. Later, Groothuis raises the question of when a minority can still be considered a minority. “Research shows that the tipping point is around thirty percent. So we need to work very hard to at least reach that number.” According to him, the Irène Curie Fellowship program, which gives women priority to apply in the first six months, has contributed to the fact that fifty percent of all incoming assistant professors are now women. “Significant progress has already been made.”

It is important to retain these young researchers, says Liz Root, Managing Director of Built Environment. “We’ve invested in them, they are here, and now the task is to make sure they stay. Only then do you truly reap the benefits of the decision to hire more women.”

Academic citizenship

The WISE event is not only about budget cuts. It also focuses on “academic citizenship” and the amount of extra work women often take on. Luana Russo addresses this in a keynote, sharing findings from a study she conducted at her own university in Maastricht. She notes that the results are not representative due to the voluntary nature of the survey.