IT:U embeds gender equality structurally
International Women’s Day is a reminder of progress made, and of persistent structural deficits. In technical universities, the picture has been unchanged for years: despite a growing number of women graduates, the share of women among professors in many Austrian institutions remains well below 20 %. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, IT:U shows how to move beyond declarations of intent and anchor equality in binding institutional structures.
It’s not the talent pool, it’s the system
IT:U uses this moment to propose a different perspective: the issue is not a lack of talent, but the institutional conditions under which academic careers are decided. The problem is not talent; it is the framework that shapes evaluation, selection, and progression. At IT:U, gender equality has been structurally embedded since June 2024, with the early establishment of an Equal Opportunities Office as a core institutional mechanism. If equality is treated merely as an aspiration, outcomes will continue to depend on individual goodwill and moments of opportunity. If, instead, it is embedded in legal obligations, procedures, and decision logics, change becomes systematic, and durable.
IT:U’s status as a university with its own legal foundation makes a crucial difference. Equality is not an add-on or a voluntary code; it is anchored directly in university law. This legal embeddedness sets binding expectations for how power is distributed, how appointments are conducted and how accountability is exercised.
Key figures at IT:U
- As of March 2026, women hold 35% of professorships at IT:U (up from 26% in December).
- On the PhD level, women account for 47% of candidates.
- In the Master’s in Interdisciplinary Computer Science, 39% of students started in the last winter semester; in the current semester, women make up more than half.
These figures contradict the widespread assumption that there are too few qualified women candidates.
Giving equality a seat at the table
At the heart of this framework sits the First Committee on Equality and Women’s Advancement (FCEWA), a governance body with clearly defined participation and intervention rights. The committee is empowered to engage in appointment procedures, shape structural processes and raise a red flag where systems reproduce bias. The point is simple: make the rules explicit, give equality a seat at the table and ensure follow‑through.
“By June 2026 alone, we will onboard four additional women professors. Equality must not depend on chance or on the commitment of individuals. It has to be secured structurally.”
Sonja Rattay, Chair of the First Committee on Equality and Women’s Advancement (FCEWA)
Structures over symbolism on International Women’s Day
For IT:U, International Women’s Day is more than a symbolic signal. What matters is whether equality is governed in a binding way, or merely formulated as a goal. If equality is not embedded in procedures and decision logics, it remains dependent on circumstances.
With this approach, IT:U positions itself as a reform university in Austria: equality is not treated as an add‑on project, but as part of institutional responsibility, embedded deeply across all areas of IT:U.
About the FCEWA
The First Committee on Equality and Women’s Advancement (FCEWA) is IT:U’s governance body for equality. It holds:
- Participation rights in academic appointment processes
- Intervention rights in structural and procedural reforms
- A mandate to monitor, report on, and advance gender equality across the university
Want to find out more?
IT:U has gender equality structurally embedded since June 2024. Explore how IT:U’s Equal Opportunities Officer Stefanie Lietze reflects on advancing gender equality and highlights the importance of institutional anchoring.