JMU shines in the equality ranking: the proportion of women has increased significantly!

JMU shines in the equality ranking: the proportion of women has increased significantly!

The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg (JMU) achieved excellent ratings for its equality work in the 2025 CEWS ranking. In this ranking, which has been published every two years since 2003, the JMU is placed in group 4 out of a total of 12 and is one of the best Bavarian universities in this area. The ranking evaluates universities in Germany based on their efforts to achieve gender equality, based on data from the Federal Statistical Office and six individual indicators that measure the proportion of women at various qualification levels in academic careers. uni-wuerzburg.de reports that JMU achieved top ratings in four of six categories.

In detail, it can be seen that 48.4% of the 1,544 doctoral degrees submitted to the JMU between 2021 and 2023 came from women. The national average is 46%. In addition, the proportion of women among professorships increased from 20.2% in 2018 to 29.2% as of December 1, 2024, with 141 of 483 professorships. Professor Helga Stopper, who has been working as the university women's representative since October 1, 2023, highlights the effectiveness of the measures in the equality concept 2021-2025.

Comparison with other universities

In the context of equality at universities in Germany, a differentiated picture emerges. According to further information from gender monitoring, which looks at various university rankings, Berlin and Bremen are at the top of the equality rankings, followed by Hamburg. The methodology of the rankings varies, taking into account, among other things, the ratio of doctorates by women to the proportion of female students and the change in the proportion of women in professorships. gesis.org notes that the Hertie School in Berlin and several universities in Duisburg-Essen, Hildesheim and Marburg each achieved 11 out of 12 points.

However, it is also clear that some universities such as the University of Trier and the EBS University of Economics and Law received low ratings of 5 and 2 points. These schools show a shockingly low proportion of women in senior academic positions. The ranking, carried out in 2023, shows that the proportion of women in professorships increased from 11% in 2001 to just 29% in 2023. While gender participation in universities has increased, the so-called “leaky pipeline” cannot be ignored, which explains the decline in the proportion of women as career levels rise.

Clues for future developments

The rankings serve as an incentive for a stronger equality policy at universities. The methodology has been modified to make the assessment fairer and now results are based on thresholds rather than quartiles. forschung-und-lehre.de highlights that comprehensive gender monitoring is essential to measure progress and achieve long-term improvements. JMU's continued progress confirms the positive development in the area of ​​equality, especially through the introduction of specific support and recruitment measures for women at the university.

In summary, it can be said that JMU, with its high placement in the CEWS ranking, is a positive example of equality work at universities. Nevertheless, the slow change in gender-specific structures at many universities is an issue that must continue to be taken into account in order to ensure sustainable equality.