In 2007, the German federal and state governments launched the Female Professors Program to sustainably improve equal opportunities in the science system. It was continued in 2013 and 2018 for a further five years in each case.

Since its inception, the program has pursued a dual strategy: On the one hand, the long-term goal is to achieve parity in the distribution of positions at the professorial level. At the same time, the necessary equality policy structures at the universities are to be expanded and strengthened in order to be able to achieve forward-looking successes at all qualification levels.

The program specifically supports women in their academic careers and has been able to significantly increase the proportion of professorships held by women at German universities. It is therefore a key instrument for advancing gender equality in universities and universities of applied sciences.

After the University of Rostock was able to qualify for the first two phases of the Female Professors Program, the last round of the funding program of the federal and state governments will start in the summer of 2021. The equality future concept required for this has been positively reviewed. With the financial resources made available, gender equality measures will be initiated until 2025 to promote female scientists at all qualification levels at the University of Rostock and also to contribute structurally to more gender equality.

• Equality Future Concept of the University of Rostock (shortend, german language)
• Guideline for the implementation of the federal and state program for female professors (german language)
• Evaluation report on the female professors program from January 2017 (nationwide, german language)