The University of Bologna Publishes its 2025 Gender Equality Report

The University of Bologna has published the tenth edition of its Gender Equality Report, presenting data for 2024. The report was prepared by the University Equal Opportunities, Employee Wellbeing and Anti-discrimination Committee (CUG), with the aim of raising awareness and fostering attention to equal career opportunities for academic staff, professional staff, and students.

The Gender Equality Report is a valuable document that captures the complexity of the University of Bologna's community, reflecting both its distinctive diversity and highlighting persistent inequalities and guiding targeted policies and initiatives. These efforts contribute to achieving one of the four core principles of the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: "Promoting equity, sustainability, inclusion, and respect for diversity in every field."

This year’s Report again highlights the breadth and depth of initiatives introduced to prevent inequity and inequality. Foremost among these are actions to raise awareness and combat gender-based violence, aimed at fostering an increasingly respectful and safe academic environment for all those who study and work at our University.

On the communications front, numerous initiatives have also been launched to promote cultural change and challenge gender stereotypes.

“Above all, however, this Report provides us with data on the gender gap within our University,” says Rector Giovanni Molari. “The figures show a gradual, albeit slow, improvement. Much work remains to be done: we must continue to translate our commitment into measures capable of overcoming prejudices, norms, and attitudes that still prevent a decisive reduction in inequities and inequalities—as demonstrated by the data on women’s representation in career progression.”

The gender gap is evident, for example, among academic staff, where the phenomenon of “vertical segregation” or the “glass ceiling” persists: the proportion of women decreases as academic rank rises. In 2024, women made up 31% of full professors – three percentage points higher than in 2020 – yet this imbalance remains significant among younger academic cohorts. On a positive note, however, research shows a more balanced ratio between male and female staff.

The 2025 Report confirms the persistence of the so-called leaky pipeline effect, a complex phenomenon that compels us to intervene at various stages of the academic path and in specific scientific and disciplinary areas where the female presence progressively diminishes. Meanwhile, “horizontal segregation” remains virtually unchanged, particularly within the student community, where there is a strong male predominance in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and a strong female predominance in the Humanities, Arts, and Education.

Among students, women not only make up the majority but also achieve better academic outcomes than men, with greater regularity in completing their studies and higher grades. The gap is narrowing, but only future results will confirm this trend. However, this academic excellence does not currently translate into an advantage in the labour market: female graduates find employment with greater difficulty, often in fixed-term or part-time positions, and earn on average less than their male peers.

As regards professional staff—where women represent the majority (66%)—vertical segregation is relatively limited. However, women continue to show a greater burden of care responsibilities, as evidenced, for example, by the higher number of parental leave requests and absences due to children’s illnesses.

“Our University—continues the Rector—is still affected by gender inequalities, partly due to external factors like caregiving responsibilities, which mostly fall on women, but also due to aspects of our institutional culture. We must keep developing tools and critical knowledge, supporting both long-standing and emerging rights, and listening to the community. And we must continue to take responsibility for the impact our principles can have on the region, on the lives of those we educate, and on the sustainability of our shared future, when translated into concrete actions".

“We are fully aware that achieving genuine equity is a long and complex journey, with much still to be done, for example in relation to the glass ceiling that continues to limit academic careers,” comments Cristina Demaria, Vice Rector for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. “However, the latest Gender Equality Report also offers encouraging signs of growing awareness of these issues, alongside the importance of inclusion policies. This is reflected in the steady increase in training activities focused on gender equality, from 902 in the 2021/22 academic year to 1,199 in 2024/25, as well as in the quality and quantity of initiatives to combat gender-based violence and raise awareness across the entire University community. The report, therefore, not only reflects our current state but also helps guide our future actions”.

“The Gender Equality Report, promoted by the Committee for Equal Opportunities, portrays our University community from the perspective of equality,” adds Martina Vincieri, President of the CUG. “Once again, it highlights the University’s strong commitment to creating opportunities for reflection, training, and awareness-raising on issues such as workplace wellbeing, equal opportunities, and the fight against discrimination. Throughout 2024, numerous seminars and conferences were organised. This document was made possible thanks to a dedicated scientific and operational committee, to whom we extend our sincere gratitude. We hope that this report serves as a source of reflection and change”.