Diversity and inclusion

Fostering equal opportunities: Gender Equality Plan
<p>ARI Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG). From the left side: Nunzia Di Luise Gender Equality Officer, Stephan Zeiter Program Leader Preclinical Services, Claudia Barblan Manager Administrative Services, Bettina Brühlmann Senior HR Business Partner, Maximilian Heumann PhD student, Nora Goudsouzian Focus Area Leader Tissue Morphology, Elena Della Bella Research Scientist, Martin Stoddart Program Leader Regenerative Orthopaedics, Marco Chittó Postdoc, Sibylle Grad Focus Area Leader Disc and Cartilage Biology, Geoff Richards ARI Director, Maria Hildebrand Project Leader, Ulrich Bentz Quality Management and Procurement.</p><p></p>

In January 2022, the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) established an ARI Gender Equality Working Group (ARI GEWG) to adopt a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) 2023– 25.

It covers five areas of content recommended by the European Commission, and its objectives are formulated on the basis of an audit conducted at ARI, including an ARI employee survey, sex-disaggregated data collection, analysis of existing policies in the institute, and a review of solutions used in research institutes around the globe.

Its primary objective is to ensure that ARI is an inclusive working environment that respects equality and diversity, where everyone feels free from discrimination and has the same opportunities for career advancement. ARI has planned several measures for promoting equal opportunities. You can find them in the ARI Gender Equality Plan 2023–25.

Learn more about the AO's diversity, inclusion, and mentorship programs developed with AO Access.

What has been done so far

Gender equality awareness-raising workshop

 

In February and March 2023, 2 workshops (in English and German) held by Nunzia Di Luise - Gender Equality Officer at ARI and Judith Baumberger – HR partner AO Foundation took place for ARI staff. Participants were provided facts, evidence and arguments on various topics relating to gender equality to increase awareness and knowledge about gender (in)equality, with a focus on research and innovation.

 

Unconscious bias workshop

 

On March 2023, a workshop held by Tatiana Topalovic - Senior Program Manager Diversity, Inclusion and Mentorship at AO Foundation and Nunzia Di Luise – Gender Equality Officer at ARI - took place for ARI staff with leadership positions. The workshops took the form of highly interactive discussions, with small groups discussing selected biases, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the subject and reflect on their own attitudes when it comes to diversity in the workplace.

 

Researchers Beer at Kulturplaz Davos

 

On March 7, 2023 Academia Raetica together with ARI organized at Kulturplaz Davos a Researchers Beer event with Sara Dolf-Metzler - Head of Diversity Fachhochschule Graubünden. A wide discussion on a number of topical issues took place, such as how to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment and how to overcome stereotypes.

Photo credit: Academia Raetica

 

Inspiring female scientists from ARI network

 

On November 2023, the first edition of “Inspiring female scientists from ARI network” took place. In this edition, Prof. Ilse Jonkers - iSi Health Director – KU Leuven Institute for Physics-Based Modeling for In Silico Health – shared her successful career journey as a female scientist, what motivates her, what her values are, and how she has overcome obstacles. This initiative aims to connect early-stage female researchers to successful female scientists, to inspire and motivate them to continue their careers in science, and to build a professional and mentoring network of peers.