CU Institutional roadmap

Faculty of Physical Education and Sport

Charles University

The SUPPORTER project aims to foster gender-related, sustainable, and transformative institutional changes in sports higher education institutions paying specific attention to the challenge of gender-based violence and leading to the development of inclusive, innovative, intersectional and impactful gender equality plans (4I-GEPs).

The transformation of existing institutional GEPs into 4I-GEPs is achieved through the co-design and implementation of individual roadmaps, tailored to the needs of each implementing organisation.

The Charles University (Faculty of Physical Education and Sport) roadmap encompasses a set of Grounding Actions (GAs) to be implemented from March 2024 to June 2025. These actions address mandatory and recommended thematic GEP elements (Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans) under-addressed in their existing institutional GEP. A series of critical challenges, including engagement and participation barriers in implementing the roadmaps, resource limitations and organisational resistance, have been identified, alongside measures to effectively address them.

Learn more about the development of the roadmaps

About Charles University (Faculty of Physical Education and Sport)

Charles University is the best-rated Czech university according to international rankings, with around 100,000 students. The mission of the Faculty of Physical Education & Sport is to educate/ train professionals in sport / physical education, military physical education, civil protection education, sport management, recreation and physiotherapy.

CU GEP has been published on the official website (Czech and English versions) of Charles University in the “Gender Equality” section. It does not include a signature, only a responsible person – a Member of the Rector’s board for Social affairs and Sustainable Development.

Charles University (Faculty of Physical Education and Sport)

Summary of CU grounding actions

GA1 – Raising awareness on gender+ equality and inequalities in sports environments GA2 – Forming educational modules and material for staff and students on gender, sexuality and intersectionality GA3 – Training activities on how gender impacts sports research GA4- Gathering information on GBV and sexual harassment GA 5 - Awareness-raising on GBV at the institutional level and beyond GA6 – Redefining the contact persons job description for GEP implementation

GA1 – Raising awareness on gender+ equality and inequalities in sports environments

Details: Activities to raise awareness about gender equality, gender issues, gender stereotypes and biases in the academic sports environment.

GEP elements: Awareness-raising; Organisational culture

Implementation plan:

Set up a working team and allocate tasks
Develop the scheme (Define objectives, target audience, timeframe and budget, activities and desired outcome)
Design the material (define appropriate channels, create the visuals)
Finalise the material and seek approval
Implement the activities (Suggested activities: Workshop/panel discussion events for academic/admin staff and students – e.g. for new students during the induction week, 1 local stakeholder event for external stakeholders, 1 social media campaign)
Evaluate the impact and prepare suggestion for future relaunch

GA2 – Forming educational modules and material for staff and students on gender, sexuality and intersectionality

Details: This activity aims to improve the general knowledge of gender, sexuality and intersectionality by enriching existing courses with gender-sensitive topics and encouraging greater participation of students within and beyond the faculty of physical education and sport.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Training

Thematic: Integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching content

Implementation plan:

Integrate gender-sensitive elements into the teaching of an existing Research methodology course for doctoral students.
Enrich the subjects "Academic Writing” (focused on work with publication activity/results of scientific work) and “Violence, Individual, and Society" courses for undergraduates with gender dimension discussions, managed by Undergraduate Program Coordinators and course instructors.
Initiate the co-creation and wide distribution of educational materials, specifically brochures and information leaflets focusing on gender, sexuality, and intersectionality. Disseminate these materials to both staff and students, extending from the university level down to our faculty, ensuring a broad reach and impact.
Promote and motivate students to enrol in relevant subjects. Include courses offered within our faculty and those available in other faculties, covering lectures and seminars on gender, sexuality, and intersectionality.

GA3 – Training activities on how gender impacts sports research

Details: Training for both domestic and international researchers on how gender impacts sports research, e.g. methodologies, sampling, inclusive and intersectional practices.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Training

Thematic: Integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching content

Implementation plan:

Organize gender-sensitive research practice training for academics and researchers.
Define the training scheme’s objectives, target audience, activities, and time plan.
Outline the scheme and individual activities.
Identify Gender Equality (GE) experts internally, and seek external expertise if internal resources are insufficient.
Prepare training materials.
Launch the training scheme.
Evaluate the training to identify strengths and weaknesses, make amendments, and explore the possibility of repeating the training on a periodic basis.
Measure success through attendance records and training reports.
Ensure the required resources, including expert facilitators, session venues or platforms, and training content.
Indicate overall success by updating course syllabi, student participation numbers, and comprehensive training feedback.
Discuss allocating a budget for expert consultations, material development, and the use of communication and evaluation tools to measure impact, aiming to foster a more inclusive academic environment.

GA4- Gathering information on GBV and sexual harassment

Details: Collection of data on the current state of knowledge regarding GBV at the faculty level.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Data collection and monitoring.

Thematic: Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment.

Implementation plan:

Use the results of a university-wide questionnaire that has been previously distributed to leverage existing data on the perceptions and awareness of GBV and sexual harassment across the university.
Analyse the data found to have a foundational understanding that can guide further inquiries and actions. The results will also indicate whether any GBV-related data is missing and recommendations for enhancing the existing questionnaire or introducing additional data collection methods will be issued.

GA 5 - Awareness-raising on GBV at the institutional level and beyond

Details: This activity will address the presented gaps to increase understanding among staff and students regarding the concept and forms of gender-based violence (physical, sexual, psychological, economic and financial, sexual harassment, online) in the sports context This will assist in creating To create a safe environment and a culture of respect and equality. Also, staff and students will be introduced to the relevant regulatory framework and internal procedures in place (reporting and case management, support mechanisms) in a simple and comprehensive manner.

GEP element Mandatory: Training

Thematic: Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment

Implementation plan:

Launch awareness-raising and educational activities designed to address identified knowledge gaps.
Amplify the reach and impact of the messages being communicated, ensuring that the importance of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is recognized at all levels of the faculty.
Engage Vice-deans and contact persons in participating in various gender equality-oriented events, such as “Women Who Inspire” on March 8th, the new EqualEdu project, and the LERU-CE7 international workshop "Inclusive GEPs in FPE10" on March 14th and 15th. Utilize these events to disseminate information and foster an environment that promotes gender equality.
Organize a local stakeholder event, such as an awareness day, to raise awareness among targeted external stakeholders including sports clubs, trainers, associations, umbrella organizations, and public authorities.

GA6 – Redefining the contact persons job description for GEP implementation

Details: The objective of creating a role dedicated to the execution of these tasks is to maintain accountability. Currently, the faculty is reliant on external advisors/ombuds people. Although this should remain a top-down approach to addressing gender equality, a bottom-up approach could help improve more sympathetic attitudes to the GEP.

GEP elements: Mandatory: Dedicated resources

Thematic: Work-life balance and organisational culture; Measures against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment; Gender equality in recruitment and career progression.

Implementation plan