Preventing Gender-Based Violence in Academic and Research Environments
Free training packages for employees, managers and members of selection committees
How can sexual harassment, gender bias and other forms of gender-based violence be recognised in the workplace? How can people respond safely and appropriately? And what can institutions do to prevent such behaviour?
We have developed a set of ten short educational videos, accompanying questionnaires and a methodological guide for universities, public research institutions and other organisations.
The tool is publicly available and free to use.
Start using the training packages: Series 1, Series 2
Download the methodological guide (in Czech language)
What the training packages offer
The materials help employees and institutional leaders to:
recognise different forms of gender-based violence and discrimination,
better understand sexual harassment in the workplace and academic environment,
identify gender bias and its impact,
respond appropriately when they encounter problematic behaviour,
prevent discriminatory decision-making in recruitment and evaluation processes,
assess changes in participants' knowledge and attitudes after completing the training.
The packages can be used as part of internal training, onboarding for new employees, training for managers, or the implementation of a Gender Equality Plan.
Who is the tool for?
Employees in academic and research institutions
The first part of the materials introduces key manifestations of gender inequality, harassment and violence that people may encounter in the workplace.
Viewers learn how to recognise problematic behaviour, understand its potential impact, and respond when they experience or witness it.
Managers, HR professionals and members of selection and evaluation committees
The second part focuses on people involved in decisions concerning recruitment, evaluation, career progression or the working conditions of others.
It helps participants recognise gender bias in decision-making and supports a more transparent, fair and safe institutional environment.
What does the tool include?
10 educational videos
The videos cover the following topics:
- View all videos: Series 1, Series 2
- Gender Bias against Women in Academia and Research
- Psychological Forms of Gender-based Violence
- Sexual Harassment in Research and Academia
- What Should We Do When We Encounter Sexual Harassment in Research and Academia?
- Gender-Balanced Expression in the Academic and Research Environment
- Bias Against Women in the Academic Hiring Process
- What Kinds of Obstacles do Women face in Research and Academia?
- Economic Aspects of Gender Inequality in Research and Academia
- The Gender Dimension within Research
- Economic Violence in the Context of Reconciliation Work-Life Balance in Research and Academia
View all videos: Series 1, Series 2
In the description of each video, you will find a link to a short verification questionnaire related to the topic. The questionnaires are completely anonymous and serve only as a tool to help you assess your knowledge. Once you complete and submit the questionnaire, the correct answers will be displayed.
The questionnaires can be used to assess:
participants' understanding of the topic before the training,
whether the training contributed to increased knowledge,
areas where uncertainty or gaps in understanding remain,
topics that the institution may wish to address further.
Methodological guide for institutions
The methodological guide takes you through the entire process – from introducing the tool and explaining the different ways it can be used to working with the questionnaires and evaluating the results.
It also contains direct links to all videos and related materials.
Download the methodological guide for implementing the training packages
Pilot evaluation
The training packages were piloted at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem and the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
The pilot evaluation presents concrete percentage changes across the topics covered as well as feedback from participants who completed the training.
Download the evaluation of the training packages
How to use the tool
1. Choose your target group
Decide whether the training is intended for all employees, new employees, managers, HR professionals or members of selection committees.
2. Select relevant topics
You do not need to use all of the videos at once. You can create a basic training programme for everyone or select individual topics that correspond to the current needs of your institution.
3. Use the pre-training questionnaire
Before participants watch the videos, you can use the questionnaire to assess their initial knowledge and attitudes.
4. Make the videos available
The videos can be used as part of a group training session or workshop, during onboarding, or as stand-alone online learning materials.
5. Evaluate the impact
The post-training questionnaire can help you assess what the training has achieved and identify topics that could be addressed through follow-up activities.
When can the training packages be useful?
You can use the tool, for example:
as part of sexual harassment prevention,
when training managers,
when training members of selection and evaluation committees,
during the onboarding of new employees,
as a basis for joint discussion about workplace culture,
when introducing or updating a Gender Equality Plan,
as a follow-up to a gender audit or employee survey.
A video alone is not enough
Training is an important part of prevention, but it should be connected with other institutional measures.
These include, in particular:
clear rules defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviour,
safe and confidential channels for reporting concerns or incidents,
trained staff responsible for receiving and addressing reports,
regular assessment of the working environment.
We therefore recommend using the training packages as one component of a broader institutional system for preventing and addressing gender-based violence.
Do you need support in using the materials?
We can help you choose an appropriate training format, integrate the materials into a broader prevention system, or follow up with additional educational and institutional measures.
Contact Gender Information Centre NORA
About the development of the tool
The training packages were developed as part of a project focused on preventing gender-based violence in the workplace in public research institutions and universities in the Czech Republic.
The materials were developed in cooperation between:
Gender Information Centre NORA, o.p.s.,
J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences,
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
The project was financially supported by the Norway Grants.
Norway Grants
The Norway Grants and the EEA Grants represent Norway's contribution towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. Through the Norway Grants and the EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with beneficiary countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Together with the other donors, Norway has provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. Norway Grants are financed solely by Norway and are available in the countries that joined the EU after 2003. For the period 2014-2021, the Norway Grants amount to €1.25 billion.
Learn more about Norway's contribution to the Czech republic here: www.norskefondy.cz.
Contact person: Tamara Jačisko Nasri, email: tamara.jacisko@gendernora.cz