NEOMA has joined 25 other establishments and institutions in signing the new Regional Agreement on gender equality in the education system in Normandy. Its aim: to reduce and finally eliminate inequalities.

Co-piloted by the Prefect of Normandy and the Rector of the Normandy Education Authority, the 2020-2024 regional agreement unites 26 signatories in a joint commitment to implement practial measures that promote the principles of gender equality between girls and boys, women and men, as set out in Education Guidelines. “The aim of this collective action is to encourage and highlight initiatives and achievements in the fight against inequalities between women and men,”  explains Bénédicte Dulaquais, Head of the NEOMA Accreditations, Certifications and CSR Department.

A number of working groups headed by the Normandy Education Authority (Rectorat de l’Académie de Normandie) have been set up for this, including one group entitled “Internships and Apprenticeships”, which includes Virginie Milaire, NEOMA Diversity & Green Campus Officer. An initial meeting was held on 11 February, organised by the Egaé group, a consulting and training agency specialising in gender equality, the fight against discrimination, diversity and the prevention of sexist and sexual violence. Discussions focused on the following areas:

• Raising awareness on sexist and sexual violence
• How to react in the event of a young person disclosing an act of sexist and/or sexual violence during their professional experience
• Legal aspects concerning responsibility
• Identification of operational needs in setting up initiatives

The workshop was attended by a number of internship coordinators from the signatory institutions, including Delphine Hébert, from the Talent & Career Department on the NEOMA Rouen Campus.  “Our students spend almost half of their curriculum at NEOMA in companies and are at times confronted with situations of sexist or sexual violence, without always knowing how to react. Knowing how to listen to them, allowing them to speak freely and openly, providing them with support and advice on what to do, are an essential part of our mission. This training session and the chance to talk with others has enabled me to be better equipped to respond to these problems, which are far more common than you might imagine, “ Delphine says.

The working group will use the material gathered during these exchanges to create a guide for institutions to help them listen to and advise students who report inappropriate behaviour in host companies. This will be ready for the beginning of the 2021 academic year in Normandy and will be made available nationally, as the work carried out during the previous agreement: practical guide to avoiding stereotypes in communication and on social networks. (in French)

This new initiative complements the measures already introduced by the NEOMA CSR Committee’s Diversity Commission on gender equality.