Gender Mainstreaming & Diversity Management
Gender Mainstreaming
Women and men are culturally attributed specific behaviors, characteristics and associations– social stereotypes of gender. Gender mainstreaming means consciously recognizing and taking into account social inequalities between women and men in all areas and at all planning and decision-making stages.
Gender mainstreaming is often confused with women’s empowerment but the two are mutually complementary strategies. Gender specific inequality is in most cases at the expense of women, therefore the empowerment of women is often essential to help create a balance.
Diversity Management
Diversity management means the targeted awareness and the conscious appreciation of people and their differences as diversity or potential and not as a deficit. The aim of this approach is to perceive and use diversity as an essential resource in organizations as well as dismantle common stereotypes and prejudices that often lead to discrimination. People are not assigned to specific groups, but should be recognized in their diverse facets or dimensions.
Dimensions taken into account in diversity management are: age, gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion, social background, professional background, income, place of residence, marital status, parenthood, education.
Some of these dimensions can be changed relatively easily, others cannot.
University and Family Certificate
The University and Family Audit was created as a management tool for making universities more family-friendly. The aim of this audit is to develop and implement family-oriented measures, so as to achieve a balance between the interests of the university, the needs of employees and the needs of students.
In 2012, FHWien der WKW was awarded the state quality seal, which is valid for three years, for the first time. This makes FHWien der WKW one of the first universities of applied sciences in Austria to receive this certificate. Since then, the re-audit has been successfully completed every three years. At the beginning of January 2025, FHWien der WKW was once again awarded the “Audit hochschuleundfamilie” certificate. This fourth recertification is valid until 2028.
Diversity Charter
FHWien der WKW signed the diversity charter in May 2012. The charter was introduced in 2005 in France and has been implemented Europe-wide. The diversity charter for Austria was implemented upon an initiative between the Austrian Economic Chamber and the Vienna Economic Chamber in 2010.
The signing of the diversity charter is voluntary and promotes respect for all members of society – irrespective of gender, age, origin or skin color, sexual orientation, religion and belief, physical or mental disability.
Network of “Businesses for Families”
Since July 2016, FHWien der WKW has been part of the network “Businesses for Families” (Unternehmen für Familien), an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Family and Youth (BMFJ) for networking between family-friendly companies and municipalities. FHWien der WKW signed up to demonstrate its commitment to improving the compatibility of family and work within the university.
Students with children
Studying and being a mom all at the same time? Not easy, but possible!
FHWien der WKW aims to support pregnant students or new moms so that they can continue their studies or successfully complete them. Special regulations are in place regarding the attendance rules and examinations during maternity leave. Students should turn to the Head of Study Program as soon as possible to discuss the best path forward for the months before and after giving birth.
You can find helpful links here:
Inclusion and accessibility
Every student has the right to inclusion and full access when studying at FHWien der WKW, irrespective of a disability or chronic illness. We aim to support you in various ways:
- Awareness raising in the learning environment (other students, lecturers, administration) after consulting with you about your needs
- Adjustments to examinations where need be
- We strive to provide our teaching materials in a digitally accessible format
- Tour of our campus to identify potential challenges and developing solutions
- Workshops and knowledge transfer among staff and lecturers on the subjects of accessibility and disabilities
- Consulting with external organizations to get expertise on how to further improve inclusion and accessibility at FHWien der WKW
Please contact your Head of Study Program or the person in charge of Gender & Diversity, Brigitte Keiser. Once presented with a medical certificate, we will discuss the best path forward together with you.
Successful studying for deaf and hard of hearing students - GESTU
What is GESTU?
GESTU is a competency and service point that supports deaf and hard of hearing students during their studies with a wide range of services to facilitate equal access to their studies.
Who may contact GESTU with questions?
- Students
- People interested in studying
- Lecturers
- Other members of universities
Who may benefit from GESTU?
Deaf and hard of hearing students who are enrolled in a regular degree program at a university, a university of applied sciences or a university of education in Vienna.
What does GESTU do for students?
GESTU organizes and coordinates
- Sign language interpreters
- Speech-to-text interpreters
- Student buddies for taking notes during classes, study support or proofreading
Additional support:
- Counselling for study-related questions
- Lending of assistive technologies (e.g. wireless microphone, portable speakerphone)
- Mediation in case of problems or discrimination during studies
Services for lecturers and staff
GESTU raises awareness and offers consultation to lecturers and other members of the universities if deaf or hard of hearing students attend their lectures and if they have questions in this context.
Care duties
Students with care duties carry a heavy load. A credible nursing leave for the care of children or relatives can serve as a sufficiently justified reason for not attending an exam or as proof of absence from a course, when the rules of the Study and Examination Regulations are adhered to. Please inform yourself of what needs to be observed. Students with care duties are advised to contact their Head of Study Program to decide on the best path forward.
You can find helpful links here: