Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU - Cohesion, a common European value

Strategic plan of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization regarding gender equality

  • Home
  • Strategic plan of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization regarding gender equality

STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN LEVANT CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION REGARDING GENDER EQUALITY

2025–2028

 

  

I. DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

The terms used as part of this Strategic Plan are in accordance with the concepts and definitions heretofore formulated by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and national Romanian legislation in force (Law No. 202/2002), and cover fundamental concepts such as:

  • Gender equality;
  • Sex and gender;
  • Gendered perspectives;
  • Sexual and psychological harassment;
  • Gender stereotypes;
  • Work-life balance;
  • Integrating gender perspectives into institutional policy;
  • Occupational segregation;
  • Gender bias.

 

II. INTRODUCTION

At the European level, the 2020-2025 Strategy for Gender Equality establishes a reference framework for institutions in all fields to employ, promoting:

  • The counteraction of gender-based violence;
  • The elimination of stereotypes;
  • Balanced representation in decision-making processes;
  • Equal pay and access to leadership positions;
  • Encouraging equitable participation in research, education, administration and cultural diplomacy.

As a public institution with a mission to promote intercultural dialogue and advanced research on Levantine civilization, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization is committed to reflecting these principles across all of its organizational structures. Respect for equal opportunity and equal treatment between women and men is a fundamental condition for institutional integrity and for achieving academic and diplomatic excellence. In the spirit of European and national commitments to gender equality, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization aims to promote an organizational culture based on fairness and respect for diversity.

The 2020–2025 European Strategy for Gender Equality defined the framework for action on gender equality, and through the present Strategic Plan, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization furthers these aims, adapting them to its institutional particularities for the 2025–2028 period.

Through its mission to promote intercultural dialogue, advanced research and cultural diplomacy, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization recognizes the importance of gender equality as a foundation for institutional excellence and sustainable development.

 

III. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Strategic Plan on Gender Equality elaborated by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization for the period 2025–2028 are as follows:

  • To promote an inclusive, safe, and equitable working environment for all employees, researchers, and collaborators, irrespective of gender;
  • To prevent and combat gender-based harassment and violence, including in online environments and in international collaborations;
  • To ensure balanced gender representation across management structures, committees, and working groups;
  • To integrate the gender dimension into all of its planned and ongoing research projects, partnerships, and public communication;
  • To support a healthy work-life balance, in particular in what pertains to those researchers involved in academic mobility and international projects;
  • To ensure equal access to professional development, workplace advancement, and continuing education;
  • To develop an organizational culture predicated on a strong adherence to mutual respect, fairness, inclusion, professional competencies and awareness of gender equality by way of dedicated training sessions and information campaigns.

 

IV. PRINCIPLES OF ACTION

The Strategy for Gender Equality elaborated by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization is based on the following fundamental principles for the implementation of its strategy:

  • Equality and fairness – ensuring non-discriminatory treatment in what pertains to institutional recruitment, advancement, access to training, and participation in the Institute’s activities;
  • Respect and dignity – combating all forms of harassment, marginalization or exclusion;
  • Professionalism – maintaining the highest standards of professional and academic behaviour;
  • Forthrightness and intellectual integrity – in what pertains to the recognition of intellectual merit and intellectual property;
  • Transparency – safeguarding transparent practices in what regards those decision-making processes related to human resources and to equality of opportunity;
  • Social responsibility – ensuring institutional involvement in efforts to promote democratic values and fundamental human rights.
  • Acceptance of difference in the workplace – encouraging the natural formation of an inclusive, diverse, and tolerant organizational culture.

 

V. IMPLEMENTATION

For the effective implementation of its Strategic Plan herein outlined, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization shall endeavour to appoint a dedicated person responsible for coordinating efforts to ensure gender equality, who:

  • Will analyse institutional risks in what pertains to gender equality and provide recommendations for their mollification;
  • Will organize workshops, training sessions, and/or internal campaigns open to the Institute’s staff in order to imprint the fundamental concepts of gender workplace equality;
  • Will work alongside project managers to safeguard gender equality and integrate gender perspectives into institutional research projects, international cooperation initiatives, and public communication;
  • Will monitor the evolution of internal gender indicators, periodically analysing data relating to institutional staff structure, the availability of access to necessary resources, and equality of opportunity in what regards professional advancement;
  • Upon gaining awareness of any form of dereliction or estrangement from the principles and values of gender equality as outlined above, the person responsible will propose corrective measures to be taken in order to safeguard gender equality and the equality of opportunity, and will provide an appropriate and realistic framework by which to prevent such cases’ reemergence;
  • Will collaborate with established specialists in the fields of law, human resources and gender policies in order to enforce the existing legal framework governing relevant fields;
  • Will coordinate and undertake an annual review and update of the Strategic Plan and of its related actions (see Section VII).

 

VI. COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS

The Institute’s Strategic Plan for Gender Equality will be supported by:

  • Internal information campaigns focusing on the relevant rights, obligations, and reporting mechanisms in force;
  • Workshops and training sessions for all levels of staff;
  • Integrating a gender perspective into the events, publications, and research undertaken by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization;
  • Disseminating best practices across international and institutional networks.

 

VII. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The implementation of the Plan shall be evaluated on an annual basis, by way of:

  • Periodic reporting to management on progress indicators;
  • Assessment of quantitative (e.g., gender distribution in managerial structures) and qualitative indicators (e.g., degree of perceived equality and fairness);
  • Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the effectiveness of measures previously implemented;
  • Participatory feedback from employees, collaborators, and project partners;

The Strategic Plan’s annual review shall also take into account both evolving internal dynamics and external developments in efforts to update its actions and methodologies.

 

VIII. CONCLUSION

The present Strategic Plan represents the first step towards institutionalizing an organizational culture based on equality, diversity, and respect within the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization. This is a medium-term institutional policy document, set to come into force for a duration of three years, in close alignment with budgetary cycles as well as with national and European strategic planning. Fundamentally, it reflects the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization’s commitment to establishing an organizational culture that respects diversity, promotes fairness, and values the contributions of all, irrespective of gender considerations.

The successful implementation of the Strategic Plan is dependent on the active involvement of all employees, researchers, and collaborators of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization in its fruition.

By adopting and implementing these principles, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization reinforces its commitment to European and international values, respect for fundamental human rights and the promotion of a fair, open, and tolerant society.