Equality in EUSS

The EUSS Equality Commission has prepared several actions for the week of November 23-27 on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25N).

There are many forms of violence against women, but one that often goes unnoticed is harassment in the workplace or society.

Specifically, on this day we wanted to look at sexual harassment and sex harassment.

With the slogan "Don't consent!", several posters have been made with examples of situations that often enjoy social tolerance or are perceived as harmless, but which can constitute harassment. The campaign aims to raise awareness and appeal to the entire university community so that these attitudes are not tolerated, as well as to spread the Protocol to prevent and act against sexual harassment, harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, male chauvinist violence, and workplace harassment, a tool that should serve to prevent, detect and resolve cases of harassment with the ultimate goal of eradicating these behaviours in the university environment.

A space has also been installed in the corridor on the first floor where all people who are part of the EUSS can briefly write about uncomfortable, violent, intimidating, unfair, discriminatory experiences that they have suffered in their own skin or that have been lived by close women. We call for participation in this mural of situations that should make us open our eyes to the violence that all women suffer in our daily lives and that society tends to minimize or accept.

Finally, the Good Mornings of the Week will be dedicated to a widespread form of sexual harassment in today’s society, and especially among young people: cyberbullying.

On the occasion of 2020 International Women's Day, the EUSS has prepared activities with the objective of raising awareness among our university community of the importance of achieving real and effective equality between women and men in the field of engineering.

'Equality is like gravity, it's a necessity' is the motto of this protest day, which hosts the conference "iterem, working every day for equality" by Miriam Blanco, who will present the case of success of iterem, a company that has made a very strong commitment to equality since its inception by hiring women in different positions. At iterem, they are specialized in process-based services and solutions as well as they accompany organizations in their digital transformation.

Next, there will be a round table moderated by the EUSS lecturer and PhD in Physics, Iria Fraga. The aim of the session is to give voice to different women who work in the engineering field to give us their vision on gender equality in this sector traditionally linked to men. The round table will feature the following women:

• Brenda Dalmau, electrical engineer, alumni of the EUSS and responsible for the fields of engineering, coordination and management in the family business Instalaciones Enrique Dalmau;
• Mariona Martí, mechanical and industrial organisation engineer, alumni of the EUSS and Logistics Process Engineer in Mango;
• Alicia Martín, alumni of the EUSS and chemical and electrical engineer at INTEMAN and IDM, family businesses where she holds positions of responsibility;
• Dolores Rexachs, PhD in Computer Engineering and senior lecturer in the Computer Architecture and Operating Systems Department of the UAB;
• Miriam Blanc, Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, founder and Project Manager at iterem.

On July 24, 2019, the Management Team approved the Protocol to prevent and act against sexual harassment, harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, male chauvinist violence, and workplace harassment of the Escola Universitària Salesiana de Sarrià, which entered into force the day after its approval.

This protocol has been developed as a mechanism that must guarantee the security and confidentiality of any person who activates it. The protocol must also ensure that the investigation of the facts and the collection of information is done with maximum speed and sensitivity, and always prioritizing respect for the rights of all persons involved, who will receive the resolution of the actions provided for in the protocol within a maximum period of two months.

In addition, the protocol includes a set of preventive measures with the objective of completely eradicating this type of behaviour within the university environment and contributing to sensitize the entire university community.

On November 20, 2019, the EUSS Equality Commission was born with the following objectives:

1. Give visibility to discriminations that make difficult effective equality between women and men.

2. Promote equality of rights and opportunities between men and women in our educational community.

3. Encourage the inclusion of a gender perspective in our programmes.

4. Integrate the study and application of the principle of equality in courses and programmes for initial and ongoing staff training.

5. Prepare and supervise a Gender Equality Plan that will be integrated into the EUSS strategic plan.

Currently, the Equality Commission is made up of the following people:

• Olga Vendrell (President), as a member of the Administration and Services Staff (PAS).

• Andreu Moreno (Secretary), as a member of the Management Team.

• Carlos Ortega, as a member of the Academic and Research Staff (PDI) as well as the Works Council.

• Sara Redondo, as a member of the Administration and Services Staff (PAS).

• Leonie Schmiedeberg, as a member of the Students Commission (CAEUSS).

Please contact us at: igualtat@euss.cat