Science in crisis: How women have to fight in academia!

Science in crisis: How women have to fight in academia!

Today is June 24, 2025, and the discussion about gender equality in science is becoming increasingly important. According to the University of Duisburg-Essen Currently only 29% of professorships in Germany are held by women. This low proportion is alarming, especially considering that the proportion of female professorships was only 14% in 2005.

In this context, the mentoring program “Mentoring³”, which was launched 20 years ago, is celebrating a significant milestone. It was created to promote female scientists and improve their career prospects. The anniversary celebration will take place on July 15, 2025 in the glass pavilion on the Essen campus of the University of Duisburg-Essen. Registration for the event is still possible today.

Mentoring³ and its goals

The goal of Mentoring³ is to strengthen the career development of female scientists and increase their share in leadership positions. Structural hurdles and gender-specific prejudices often lead to many women leaving their academic careers at an early stage. The program offers a variety of support formats, including one-to-one mentoring, peer mentoring and skills development workshops, covering topics such as communication, leadership and self-marketing.

The program lines alternate annually between the Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Technical University of Dortmund in order to offer broad support. The 20th anniversary celebrations will include a networking meeting for active and former mentees, mentors and coordinators. The public ceremony will include a welcome from the rectors, the presentation of a short film and a keynote speech and will even be broadcast via livestream.

Nationwide funding programs to promote women

In addition to initiatives such as mentoring³, there are numerous funding programs in Germany that aim to support gender equality in science. Academics has highlighted various programs, including the BMBF's female professor program, which offers universities incentives to implement measures that promote equality. Up to four positions for female professorships can be applied for, although family and childcare also play a role.

Other initiatives include the contact point “Women in EU Research” (FiF), which offers workshops and information, and the meta-project “Innovative Women in Focus”, which focuses on the visibility of women in science. The German Research Foundation (DFG) also supports programs to promote equal opportunities and improve family-friendly working conditions.

Women in industrial research

Industrial research offers a particularly challenging environment. In Germany, around 735,000 people worked in this sector in 2019, with the proportion of women only being 14.8 percent ( Academics ). The automotive industry is one of the largest and has a strongly male-dominated corporate culture. A 2020 survey by Dynata on behalf of PwC Strategy revealed that 44% of automotive executives surveyed see opportunities for more women in leadership positions, while 36% see this as a strategic barrier.

In order to increase the female presence in leadership roles, Daimler AG implements measures to promote women and equal opportunities in its company agreements. Mentoring programs and workshops are also intended to support women who aspire to leadership positions. The situation in the healthcare industry is already looking more positive, where women make up 41% of full-time employees and one in three managers is female.