HR4RS stamp
Writing/Raúl García Hémonnet
In the seminar, held at the Madrid Campus and organized by Professor Alicia Orea Giner, from the Openinnova research group, the results of research carried out by various teams were presented. In addition, a debate has been held on the most striking aspects highlighted with the aim of highlighting the current situation in the university environment. All this with the aim of offering recommendations, instruments and actions aimed at promoting respect for diversity in gender and sexuality issues in the different groups: PDI, PAS and students.
In the first part of the day, different works have been highlighted that show the importance of offering diagnosis and putting in place organizational mechanisms aimed at eliminating situations of work stress, 'burnout' syndrome and 'mobbing'. All of them considered high risk factors in the different university groups. Projects have been presented that identify the factors that in the university environment favor institutional practices such as abuse of power, and identified the groups at greatest risk. In addition, testimonials have been provided.
The work of the units
Different initiatives have been announced that, from the Equality Unit, the Healthy University and the Green Office at the URJC have been developing for some time, aimed at promoting respect for diversity at the university, and the promotion and improvement of protocols of action before the appearance of risk situations.
In this sense, the director of the Equality unit, Rosa Rodríguez Saavedra, highlighted the role of this unit in aspects related to communication, awareness, training and support at the university for gender equality and diversity issues. The URJC has recently joined the Network of Universities for Diversity.
Experts from various universities
The seminar was attended by specialists from universities throughout Spain. Alejandra Selma Penalva, Professor of Labor Law and Social Security at the University of Murcia, highlighted in her speech the legislative improvements and practices regarding the approach of unexpected situations that could generate discrimination associated with maternity conditions and the role of university women in matters of labor conciliation.
For his part, Jose Ignacio Pichardo Galán, Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at the Complutense University of Madrid, has focused on the different barriers, innovations and future challenges in gender-based diversity in the university environment. The teacher has highlighted the effectiveness of certain actions of a symbolic nature by different work profiles at the university, aimed at naturalizing and normalizing diversity.
Subsequently, Rebecca Tildesley, Researcher of the UNIGUAL project, aimed at diagnosing discriminatory gender situations in the university, highlighted how power struggles influence the implementation of gender policies in universities, and drew attention to the resources that are they are using to offer resistance and counter-resistance to these situations.
The debate held later was the opportunity for other experts in this field to join, such as Sara García de Vicuña Callejo, researcher in Feminist and Gender Studies at the Complutense University of Madrid.
This seminar has highlighted the trajectory of the URJC in raising awareness, training and advice for the different groups, PDI, PAS and students in the acceptance of equality and respect for diversity. Likewise, it has recognized the need to evolve in tools and practices aimed at raising awareness, mediating and helping from the university environment itself. The goal of all this is to resolve potential conflicts that arise in matters of discrimination based on gender or sex as a consequence of power relations.