Gender Equality Policies
The University of Florence promotes gender equality as a core element of its institutional mission, in line with national and international best practices and with the guidelines of the European Commission. This commitment concerns the entire university community – students, academic staff, researchers, and technical-administrative staff – and aims both to overcome existing structural inequalities and to prevent new forms of discrimination.
The University recognizes that the higher education and research sector presents specific characteristics in which gender gaps continue to be significant. For this reason, it develops targeted and integrated policies capable of producing systemic impact across the various areas of university life, from teaching and research to work organization and participation in decision-making processes.
From this perspective, the promotion of gender equality is not considered a sector-specific objective, but a strategic lever for improving the overall quality of the University, fostering inclusive and fair environments that can fully value all talents. The long-term goal is to contribute to building an academic community in which everyone can freely develop their study, work, and life paths, participating fully and consciously in university life.
The University actively promotes gender equality through structured tools and integrated actions in the areas of teaching, research, and third mission activities.
Gender Equality Plan
The adoption of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) represents the main instrument for implementing this strategy. The plan, required by the European Commission for access to research funding, defines concrete and measurable actions aimed at promoting work-life balance, equality in careers and recruitment processes, gender balance in decision-making roles, the integration of the gender dimension in research and teaching, as well as the prevention of all forms of violence and discrimination.
Learn more about the Gender Equality Plan and consult the available documents on the dedicated page.
Gender Budget
Since 2018, the University of Florence has prepared and published a Gender Budget, in line with current legislation and with national and European guidelines on the promotion of gender equality. It is a strategic tool that allows the systematic integration of a gender perspective into the University’s policies and decision-making processes, strengthening transparency, equity, and institutional accountability.
The Gender Budget serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it provides an in-depth analysis of gender distribution within the university community across different roles and areas of activity, helping to highlight any imbalances or critical issues. On the other hand, it monitors and evaluates the policies and actions undertaken by the University, including the related financial commitments, assessing their impact on women and men.
In this perspective, the Gender Budget represents a support tool for University governance, useful for guiding strategic choices and promoting targeted actions aimed at reducing gender gaps. Context analysis and outcome monitoring make it possible to assess the effectiveness of adopted policies and to redefine objectives and actions within a continuous improvement framework.
Learn more about the Gender Budget and consult the available documents on the dedicated page.
Observatory on Gender Policies
Accordion content
Last update
31.03.2026