A Deep Bow to TU Eindhoven Professor and Diversity Coordinator Evangelia Demerouti and Former Rector Frank Baaijens
Their Irène Curie Plan, named after Marie Curie’s daughter, put an end to the unequal distribution between men and women among the academic staff at TU Eindhoven.
After many attempts to correct the imbalance, this plan proved effective: as of July 1, 2019, professor positions were exclusively open to women for the first six months. All flexibility was put to an end. Naturally, there was significant resistance. The majority group fiercely opposed the plan. Four months after its implementation, 54 men had filed complaints with the anti-discrimination bureau Radar and the Dutch Human Rights Commission (CVRM).
Image by Lin Woldendorp via the Volkskrant
Although the plan had to be adjusted slightly, it largely proceeded as intended, with excellent results five years later.
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