Oeko-Institut publishes diversity plan

Further increasing the proportion of women in management positions, especially in the scientific field, making recruitment processes open and transparent in order to level the playing field for all applicants, creating awareness among staff of unconscious biases and offering more training on anti-discrimination and diversity – these and other measures are presented today by the Oeko-Institut in its diversity strategy.

With this publication, the Oeko-Institut once again commits to recognising diversity and promoting employees with all their different skills and talents. At the same time, existing structures are to be enhanced in order to increase equal opportunities in a variety of areas and eliminate discrimination.

"We aim to create an appreciative working environment for everyone working at the Institute – regardless of their age, origin and nationality, gender and sexual identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and worldview or social background," stresses Anke Herold, one of the Oeko-Institut’s executive directors. "This not only corresponds to our own mission statement and has long been deeply embodied in the Institute’s values, but it also radiates back into society, which certainly has some catching up to do in this regard."

Commitment to equal opportunity and diversity

In the plan now published, the Institute presents fields of action for the promotion of diversity and equality, analyses the status quo and sets out objectives and tangible measures for improvement. The Institute is building on a wide range of existing activities: equal pay for equal jobs, regardless of gender, is just as much taken for granted as flexible work time models for parents and non-parents, part-time models, including for employees in leadership positions, health measures and comprehensive additional family benefits.

"Appreciation and recognition are important values that we have upheld since the Institute’s establishment and that we live daily in our work," Herold continues. "But we are not blind to the fact that we can and must do more. This includes dealing with different views and concepts of living, and reflecting on our own patterns of thought and action as well as possible stereotypes and prejudices."

The Oeko-Institut’s “Diversity Strategy and Gender Equality Plan”