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Equal Pay Day on February 27, 2026, draws attention to the gender pay gap between women and men. In Germany, the unadjusted gender pay gap is currently 16 percent. On average, women earn significantly less than men and, mathematically speaking, have to work without pay until Equal Pay Day, while men are paid from the first day of the year.

Under the slogan "Equal Pay Every Day," the 2026 campaign focuses on how this wage gap develops and impacts women over the course of their lives. From socialization in childhood and adolescence to career choices and starting a family to retirement and poverty in old age, it is clear that structural, economic, and social factors continue to hinder wage equality. Women are more likely to work in lower-paid jobs, are more often employed part-time, and continue to take on the majority of unpaid care work.

Even with comparable qualifications and jobs, there is still a wage gap: the so-called adjusted gender pay gap in Germany is around 6 percent. These differences arise, among other things, from non-transparent salary structures, fewer opportunities for advancement, and gender-specific role models in the labor market.

Equal Pay Day aims not only to draw attention to existing inequalities, but also to highlight their causes and promote solutions. The goal is true pay equality, i.e., equal pay for equal work and work of equal value, regardless of gender.

The day of action is celebrated internationally, with the date varying from country to country to reflect the respective size of the wage gap. The fact that Equal Pay Day in Germany is not until the end of February shows that there is still a considerable need for action here. In the long term, equal pay should not only apply on one symbolic day, but should become a reality every day of the year.

More information can be found at the following links:

Equal Pay Day

Frauen in verdi

Landeszentrale für politische Bildung BW

Alexandra Zykunov reads from her book "Was wollt ihr denn noch alles?!" (What else do you want?!)

To mark International Women's Day, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, the University of Koblenz, the City of Koblenz, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), and ver.di invite you to a reading with author and journalist Alexandra Zykunov. In her book "Was wollt ihr denn noch alles?!" (What more do you want?), she highlights figures, facts, and absurdities surrounding equality and encourages critical examination of social power structures.

The reading will take place on March 13 at 4:30 p.m. in the Historischen Rathaussaal (Saal 101) in Koblenz. Admission is free! We kindly ask you to register by email at koblenz@dgb.de or by phone at 0261/303060.

We cordially invite you and look forward to welcoming you to the reading!

International Women's Day on March 8 is marked worldwide by a commitment to gender equality, equal rights, and social participation. Despite significant progress, discrimination and violence against women and members of the LGBTI+ community are on the rise in many parts of the world. The fight for equality is therefore more relevant and necessary than ever, and has been actively supported for over 100 years by trade unions that campaign for women's rights, political participation, and a self-determined, financially independent life.

Nevertheless, there is still much to be done: women continue to earn less than men on average, take on the majority of unpaid care work, and are structurally disadvantaged. International Women's Day highlights where political action is needed to achieve equal opportunities and rights in practice, and reminds us that the fight for equality must continue.

The origins of International Women's Day date back to 1910: On the initiative of German socialist Clara Zetkin, an international day of action was proposed to raise awareness of women's demands for political participation and equal rights. Women's Day was first celebrated in several European countries in 1911. The focus was particularly on women's suffrage and better working conditions. In the wake of the revolutionary events in Russia in 1917, women took to the streets on March 8 to demand their rights. Shortly thereafter, they were granted the right to vote. Today, International Women's Day is celebrated worldwide with events, demonstrations, and a variety of activities that draw attention to existing inequalities and strengthen the commitment to gender equality.

Background information on the history and significance of International Women's Day can be found on the following websites:

Amnesty International

DGB

Plan International

On February 11, we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

This day encourages girls and women to pursue and continue their careers in science. At the same time, it reminds decision-makers to create fair and equal structures.

Science can only reach its full potential when all talents have equal access to education, research, and innovative fields of work!

More information about the International Day of Women and Girls in Science can be found on the websites of the UN and UNESCO.

One in three women, one billion women worldwide, experience psychological, physical and sexualised violence. For this reason, every year on 14 February People came together to dance, demonstrate and set an example for an end to violence and for freedom and self-determination.

Under the mottoRISE FOR FREEDOM action alliance Frauenennotruf Koblenz, Beratungsladen für Frauen, Interventionsstelle des SKF in Koblenz, Jugendkulturzentrum Lahnstein, "Frauenwürde" Lahnstein, der Weiße Ring, Music RLP Woman, Gleichstellungsbeauftragte Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, der Stadt Koblenz und der Stadt Lahnstein, Projekt Familienvielfalt von QueerNet RLP, queer-mittelrhein gem. e.V., Betroffenenstelle, Solinet, "Frauen Leben Freiheit Koblenz" and other committed women* organised a dance flashmob to the song "Break the Chain". The campaign "OneBillionRising" aims to set an example in favour of women's self-determination over their bodies and against violence.

The campaign is taking place for the twelfth time this year. It starts on 14.02.26 at 3 pm on Löhrrondell. After the dancing and a welcome address, the procession continues to the central square, where further speeches are made in addition to the dancing.

Further information on the campaign can be found on the Facebook page, on Instagram (@onebillionrisingkoblenz) and on the own homepage and for the project in Koblenz here. You will find access to the impressions from the last year here.

With the EXIST-Women initiative, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection supports women at universities and research institutions who are interested in starting a business. The support begins in the pre-founding phase and in the development of their entrepreneurial personality as well as the further development of their own start-up idea.

Further information on the EXIST-Women initiative can be found on the homepage of the university's start-up office or on our information page on scholarships.

Every year on 25 November, initiatives around the world draw attention to the ongoing violence against women: the International Day against Violence against Women was launched by the UN in the 1990s under the motto "Orange the World".

We would also like to address this problem, which cuts across nations, religions, classes, educational backgrounds and ages, and use the orange-coloured bench in the middle of the campus to make it clear: there is no place for violence against women at the University of Koblenz!

Further information can be found here or in the newsroom on the homepage.

On 15 January 2026, the workshop 'It was just luck: success strategies against impostor syndrome' will take place online from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with speaker Dr Juliane Lorenz.

During this interactive workshop, we will explore the different aspects of impostor syndrome and identify its underlying causes. Together, we will develop practical tools, strategies and mental techniques to help us overcome limiting beliefs, build self-confidence and recognise our own competence. The workshop aims to strengthen self-confidence in the long term, providing more security, serenity and satisfaction in our professional and personal lives. Further information can be found here.

Registration for the free event is informal and can be sent to henye@uni-trier.de by 08/01/26.

International Women's Day (also known as International Women's Day) takes place every year on 8 March. In today's context, various trade unions, groups, parties, associations and many others use the day to draw attention to gender inequality and provide a platform for various women's (rights) movements. Even today, women are still massively disadvantaged, which is reflected in unequal wages, violence against women, a lack of reproductive rights for women, lower education and a lack of political representation.
The history of this day of action began in 1908 in the USA; it was institutionalised by the UN in 1975. Originally, socialist movements initiated the day to demonstrate for women's suffrage and equal rights as well as better working conditions for seamstresses in the textile industry. In 1910, the Women's Conference of the Socialist International in Copenhagen adopted the idea of Women's Day, but without linking it to a fixed date. At the conference, 100 women from 17 countries spoke out in favour of a fixed Women's Day with the demand "No special rights, but human rights" (Clara Zetkin, German socialist).
On 19 March 1911, the "day of honour" for women was held for the first time in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. It called for equal rights for women in the labour market, the right to vote for women and more political participation. However, women in Germany were not granted the right to vote until 1918. In 1913 and 1914, Women's Day was reinterpreted as a day of protest against the war. Due to growing famine during the First World War, women in Russia chose the slogan "Bread and Peace" and took to the streets in the Petrograd armaments factory Putilov on 8 March. In 1975, in the "International Women's Year", the UN declared 8 March "International Women's Day". The day was introduced as a public holiday in 26 predominantly socialist countries.

Equal Pay Day falls on 6 March this year: while men have been paid since 1 January, women work without pay for the same salary until then (66 days). The day of action therefore draws attention to the gender pay gap between men and women. This pay gap is also known as the gender pay gap. A distinction is made between the adjusted and unadjusted gender pay gap: the unadjusted gender pay gap refers to the gross hourly income of women and men and puts them in a percentage ratio to each other. It does not differentiate between sectors, jobs or working models. The adjusted gender pay gap, on the other hand, specifically compares the wages of women and men with the same professorship appointment, in the same position and in the same working model. Equal Pay Day takes the unadjusted gender pay gap as a basis, which according to Federal Statistical Office remains unchanged at 18% in 2023.

Further information can be found on the following page: https://www.equalpayday.de.
This was initiated by Business and Professional Women (BPW) Germany e.V. and is supported by the Federal Office for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

As part of its concept Financial expert Dr Tanja Gnosa is a guest at VR Bank RheinAhrEifel. The interview will be conducted by Sustainability Manager Katrin Schildhorn. Dr Tanja Gnosa presents her work, the goals she has already achieved and the projects she is currently pursuing.

The full interview can be found on the VR Bank RheinAhrEifel website under the tabs "Sustainability" and "The financial expert". Alternatively it is also here linked for you.

The Rhineland-Palatinate State Conference of University Women* (LaKoF* RLP) elected two new spokespersons at its spring conference. The organised general meeting of the LaKoF* RLP took place at Trier University on 9 and 10 April 2024. The central point of the first day of the meeting was the election of the new LaKoF* spokespersons.

Dr Tanja Gnosa was elected to represent the universities. Alongside her, Prof Dr Katharina Dahm (Equal Opportunities Officer at Mainz University of Applied Sciences) was elected to represent the universities of applied sciences (HaW). Both see themselves as the voice of all equal opportunities stakeholders at universities in Rhineland-Palatinate and want to keep the different needs and requirements of universities and universities of applied sciences in mind in their work.

Further information on the election can be found here.

As part of the podcast "Wie klingt Koblenz?", Equal Opportunities Officer Tanja Gnosa talks about gender-sensitive language with the editor of the Rheinzeitung newspaper Finn Holitzka. In terms of content, the podcast explores the questions of whether gender is too academic, how to create access and why the debate about sensitive language is often so emotionally charged. You can find the article and the podcast at following link or on all platforms that offer podcasts.

Equal opportunities for women and men are a central fundamental right and their promotion is an important task in Germany. The University of Koblenz recognises this responsibility and, as an independent university, developed a new, comprehensive equality plan last year. The plan concretises the goals from the uk2030 development plan and has now been published with the latest figures on equal opportunities at the university. It includes an analysis of the current situation as well as a comprehensive catalogue of measures that are now to be systematically processed.

You can find the equality plan here and a report and audio interview with the Equal Opportunities Officer Dr Tanja Gnosa here.

Just in time for ONE BILLION RISING and until International Women's Day (8 March), the kilometre challenge is taking place for the fourth time.Ongoing against violence will take place. This is a joint campaign by the equal opportunities officers of the districts of Rhein-Lahn, Westerwald, Mayen-Koblenz and the city of Koblenz and is in favour of the women's shelters in Koblenz, Mayen-Koblenz and Westerwald.

You can collect kilometres regardless of whether you are walking, strolling or running. You can also just pay the entry fee of €15 without collecting any additional kilometres. Registration is possible until 08 March 2024.

The virtual charity run is organised by "Katjas Laufzeit". Registration and information can be found at https://katjas-laufzeit.de or 02689/9478851.

The inaugural lecture by the new Klara Marie Faßbinder Visiting Professor at the University of Koblenz, Dr.-Ing. Corinna Bath, will take place on 15 November 2023 at 12 noon in E011. In her inaugural lecture, Dr Corinna Bath will speak aboutKnowledge struggles - controversial epistemology: With gender research for an answering-responsible culture of objectivity.

Poster

Following a survey of the 40 universities with the most students in Germany, the Berlin/Brandenburg Consumer Protection Association has found that the University of Koblenz-Landau has a proportion of over 40% female professors - the only one of the universities and colleges surveyed to do so. With a share of exactly 40.25% female professors, it is ahead of the second and third-placed Berlin universities (HU and FU) in first place - and far above the average of only 27.71% female professors at the participating universities (only 30 out of 40 had responded to the association's enquiry). The equal representation of female and male presidents also puts us in first place in the "university management" category. However, there is still some catching up to do in terms of department heads, of which only two out of eight are made up of female deans - in 6th place in the survey. All results of the survey can be found here: https://vsvbb.de/uni-frauenquote-2022/

Even if the figures are very pleasing for our university and can be seen as a success for the gender equality work of recent years, the survey clearly shows how far the university landscape in Germany as a whole is still from gender parity. This also means for us: keep at it!

The first "Zia - Visible Women in Science" congress will take place in Berlin on 6 May. The aim of the congress is to promote networking between top scientists and junior researchers and to discuss the topic of gender equality at universities, colleges and other (scientific) institutions. You can find more information here on our website.

On 11 September 2025, the city of Koblenz will send a clear signal for greater equality in the music scene. To this end, the Women* On Stage event will take place for the fourth time on the stage of the concert shell on the banks of the Rhine. Admission is free, and three FLINTA* acts (women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender persons) will perform on stage.

Further information can be found on the poster.

The fellowship programme ‘Zia - Visible Women in Science’ is an initiative of the Zeit Verlag publishing house. The one-year programme focuses on supporting young female scientists. Workshops and digital impulses on various topics are organised throughout the year. The events create opportunities for exchange, networking and empowerment with experienced role models. The thematic organisation is the responsibility of the various participants themselves.

The application phase for the next cohort begins on 1 July 2025, the application deadline is 31 August 2025. The fellowship programme starts in October with a digital kick-off.

Further information can be found here.