U.Porto displays a commitment to equality, inclusion and the recognition of diversity in all its activities, together with research and education rooted in excellence.
In this context, the University has been actively participating in the promotion and implementation of initiatives in favour of gender equality in the academic and scientific community.
U.Porto has elaborated and approved its first Plan for gender equality – UP Equality, which results from its commitment to gender equality. This plan is a strategic instrument which establishes the University’s priorities and objectives, in order to integrate the gender perspective in the institution’s structure, as well as in its fields of action. This includes the production (research content) and transfer of knowledge (education).
U.Porto’s Gender Equality Board is the main cross-disciplinary structure which offers support in matters related with the University’s compromise and action leading to the implementation of the Plan for Gender Equality.
In parallel, there are several offices, initiatives and programmes at the University that promote rights such as equality, inclusion and diversity:
The RESET project aims to place gender equality and diversity in the centre of political decisions on an academic and scientific level. The University of Porto is one of the partner entities of this project, funded by Horizon 2020 (ref. 101006560) and promoted by 7 European universities.
U.Porto sees gender equality through RESET’s perspective: focused on the individual in terms of equality and diversity, using an intersectional approach.
During the five years of the project (2021-2025), U.Porto, together with the partner universities, will develop and implement a set of actions involving all institutional ecosystems (students, faculties, administration, management).
This commitment is expressed in the Joint Statement on Equality, Diversity and Scientific Excellence, a document that reaffirms the engagement of RESET universities to define and enhance equality, diversity and scientific excellence within leadership practices, institutional culture, knowledge production and knowledge transfer
The academic world presents specific characteristics which may lead to persistent gender inequalities which need to be resolved. The first step is to recognise the existence and dimension of gender inequality, so that we will be able to identify action domains and define goals.
The GIA.UP project - launched in 2020 - materialised the first activity developed by U.Porto to learn more about itself as an institution regarding gender inequality. It has a very important instrumental value and symbolises the importance of this topic for the University’s strategic development.
The main results and conclusions from the GIA.UP project can be consulted in their Final Report and Infographics.
NAI is an essential instrument in U.Porto's work relative to the recognition and valorisation of differences, as well as in the promotion of justice and equity related to the access of people with special educational needs.