BAHÇEŞEHIR UNIVERSITY GENDER EQUALITY and IINCLUSION POLICY
Bahçeşehir University (BAU) recognizes that gender discrimination, sexual orientation, and gender identity discrimination in all its forms undermines academic and professional productivity, disrupts institutional peace, and is fundamentally incompatible with our values. BAU is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that provides equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. This commitment to gender equality is a cornerstone of BAU’s management approach and applies to all facets of university life.
Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are key principles for all components of BAU and applies to all facets of university life.
BAU is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate, nor do we allow discrimination, on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
This commitment to fairness applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfer, placement, termination, layoff, recall, compensation, benefits, and training.
BAU provides equal opportunities in all aspects of its educational programs and admission procedures. No individual shall face discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. The university embraces diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity as fundamental principles in its operations, ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have equal access to educational resources and opportunities.
Purpose
This policy outlines a shared vision for embedding gender equality and inclusion across all activities, procedures, and strategic plans at BAU. It serves as a guiding framework to ensure that gender equality is an integral part of BAU’s operations, from educational programs to administrative functions, research, and collaborations.
Objectives
Principles
BAUEQUAL – Bahçeşehir University Commission for Equality and Inclusion Studies
Our university announced by issuing a declaration of intent in December 2019 that it would carry out studies to ensure gender equality and to prevent all forms of violence and discrimination, especially sexual harassment and violence in the workplace.
Following this declaration, the working group, which has the mission of developing an egalitarian and inclusive approach in all activities and processes carried out by our university, and which consists of academicians who are experts in their own fields, started its work as of October 2020. The working group, which we call the BAU Commission for Equality and Inclusion Studies (BAUEQUAL), has created a work program that it believes will have lasting results on what can be done about sexual harassment and gender-based violence, workplace violence and discrimination-based violence.
To date, BAUEQUAL has studied local and international models to identify steps to be taken to create a nonviolent campus and an inclusive education/work atmosphere. In order to understand the current situation of Bahçeşehir University, a series of analysis studies were initiated for students and employees. It also developed a detailed internal research to identify the unique needs maps of BAU members and respond to those needs. With the internal research, it was aimed to determine the perceptions and attitudes of BAU staff and students regarding gender equality, living with diversity and inclusion. It was envisaged that this research would have the feature of a situation analysis for the institutional policies to be implemented. After the analysis of the data compiled by the survey method, it was planned to carry out in-house training programs, panels, workshops organized with student clubs, and activities that would cover the entire campus.
BAU Equality and Inclusion Studies Commission (BAUEQUAL) aimed to take the initiative on how to proceed when such events occur as much as it has given importance to preventive education towards becoming a non-violent campus/workplace. In this context, BAUEQUAL Unit has been established, where anyone within the university can apply if they are exposed to an action that falls under the definitions of gender-based violence, discrimination, sexual violence and psychological violence. As BAUEQUAL, we hope that the solutions we will produce by adopting participatory methods will offer effective and sustainable practices for our university's vision of creating an inclusive, equal and non-violent campus life..
BAU Equality and Inclusion Studies Committee Members:
Prof. Dr. Tunç Bozbura
Prof. Dr. Aslı Makaracı Başak
Prof. Dr. Pınar Melis Yelsalı Parmaksız
Doç.Dr. Gül Şener
Dr. Nora Tataryan Aslan
Dr. Sinan Aşçı
Dr. Bahar Tanyaş
Dr. Güner Hande Ulutürk
Arzu Yüksel
Bahçeşehir University Gender Equality Declaration can be accessed through the following link.
https://cdn.bau.edu.tr/content/e8ikyfofu2k0k-ENG.pdf
Bahçeşehir University Gender Equality Action Plan (GEP) can be accessed through the following link.
https://cdn.bau.edu.tr/content/scbb0mj3tiv6b-Social%20Gender%20Equality%20Action%20Plan.pdf
Bahçeşehir University Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Prevention Policy can be accessed through the following link.
https://bau.edu.tr/icerik/18018-568-non-discrimination-harassment-and-retaliation-prevention-policy
Bahçeşehir University Non-Discriminatory Admissions Policy and NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY can be accessed through the following link.
https://bau.edu.tr/icerik/17986-532-non-discriminatory-admissions-policy
Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Assault Unit
About
Bahçeşehir University made a declaration in December 2019 to pursue institutional studies on gender equality and anti-harassment, especially in terms of sexual harassment and work-place violence, and prevention of all kinds of discrimination. Following this declaration, as of October 2020, a group of expert BAU faculty members started to work with the aim of bringing equality and inclusion-based-approach in all university-run operations.We are happy to announce that BAU Equality and Inclusion Committee (BAU EQUAL) has started working developing policies and procedures to prevent incidents of sexual harassment and gender based violence, as well as work-place violence and discrimination based violence.
BAU EQUAL, so far, has examined national and international models to determine the steps of creating a non-violent campus and an inclusive learning/working environment. In this regard, Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention/Response Unit has been established and any BAU member(academics, administrative staff, students, staff) can contact in case of being the victim or witness of gender-based violence, discrimination, sexual or psychological violence.
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