SUPPORTER Final conference
Advancing Gender+ Equality
in Widening Higher Education Institutions
Lessons learned from SUPPORTER sports higher education institutions
📅 4-5 June 2025
📌 Prague, Charles University
Over the past years, the SUPPORTER project has supported sports higher education institutions in Central Eastern Europe in developing Intersectional, Innovative, Inclusive, and Impactful Gender Equality Plans (4I-GEPs) that explicitly address gender-based violence and sexual harassment. As the project ends, this final conference will bring together sports students, researchers, policymakers, and gender equality practitioners to showcase the knowledge and insights gained during this journey.
The final conference, which will be held June 4–5, 2025, has two distinct yet interconnected parts, each addressing a crucial aspect of gender equality:
4 June [16:00- 18:00]: Creating safe and inclusive ecosystems in sports and higher education: how students can make a difference
This session offers students, staff and all stakeholders involved in higher education and in the sports ecosystem an opportunity to better understand the various forms that gender-based violence can encompass, its various forms, and the importance of early intervention. The session will conclude by emphasising the role of students in driving change, showcasing collective efforts through student associations and unions and individual actions, such as pledging support and practicing bystander intervention. Leveraging concrete examples of student-led initiatives, participants will gain insights on the power of advocacy and solidarity in fostering safer, more inclusive environments.
5 June [9:30- 17:15] Advancing Gender Equality Plans in Widening higher education institutions: Challenges, Insights, and Strategies
This full-day event will showcase inspiring practices from various contexts, including the sports ecosystem examined within the SUPPORTER project, agricultural higher education institutions, and other research settings in sister projects. By examining these cases, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with GEP implementation.