Equal opportunities

This policy covers all activities at the University of Borås and includes employees, students, applicants for educational programmes and services, as well as participants in contract education programmes.

Equal opportunities means equal possibilities, rights, and obligations for all individuals regardless of gender, transgender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, or social, cultural, or religious background. The work around equal opportunities aims to promote and ensure diversity, equality, and accessibility and is part of efforts around sustainable development in which democracy, human rights, and justice are to permeate all activities at the university.

Starting points for equal opportunities work:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• National Swedish goals for gender equality
• Sweden’s Higher Education Act
• Sweden’s Discrimination Act

The University of Borås has zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment. Diversity among students and employees is to be understood, valued, and availed of.

The University of Borås applies gender mainstreaming as a strategy so that the university contributes to achieving the national goals related to gender equality. At the university, a gender balance (40-60%) is to be present at all levels and in different positions, occupations, and educational programmes, as well as in decision-making, preparatory, and advisory bodies. There is to be gender equality in terms of employees' working conditions, wages, participation, career opportunities, and possibilities when it comes to reconciling professional careers with responsibility for home and family.

The university is to have good accessibility when it comes to activities, communication, and premises; i.e. they are to function well for all individuals.

The university is to provide equal opportunities for all students through widening participation and inclusive teaching as well as through broadening recruitment to all educational programmes.

This policy forms the basis for the systematic equal opportunities work to be carried out by Faculties and departments, which includes annual action plans with continuous follow-ups. This policy also forms the basis for the university's comprehensive action plan for gender mainstreaming.

The Vice-Chancellor and leadership at different levels are to ensure that the university's policy on equal opportunities is known about and complied with. Each individual, both employees as well as students, has a responsibility to treat others with respect and to prevent any form of discrimination or harassment.

Please note: This document has been translated from Swedish into English. If the English version differs from the original, the Swedish version takes precedence.