UGM SDG 5 REPORT:
ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWERING ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS
"TRACKING GENDER DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: INSIGHTS FROM UGM"
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has established systematic measures to track gender diversity across all aspects of higher education, from application to graduation. This commitment to gender equality is reflected in the university’s data collection and analysis processes. UGM’s Data Mart application enables easy monitoring of diversity metrics, including gender representation.
The university collects data on gender identity through its database systems for application, current student status, and graduation. This allows UGM to track application rates, acceptance rates, entry rates, and graduation rates for both men and women. The data is also used to monitor the diversity of the university community, ensuring that women are represented equally in all aspects of university life.
UGM’s efforts to track gender diversity have yielded positive results. In 2024, the university saw a significant increase in female student enrollment, with 6346 new female students compared to 4332 new male students. This demonstrates a positive trend towards greater gender balance in student enrollment. Since 2023, UGM has consistently achieved higher female graduation rates than male graduation rates, averaging at 54%. This indicates that women are not only entering UGM but also successfully completing their studies.
"UGM’S COMMITMENT TO GENDER EQUALITY: SYSTEMATIC MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING OF WOMEN’S APPLICATION RATES"
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is committed to promoting gender equality and ensuring equitable access and participation for women across all university activities. This commitment is reflected in the university’s regulatory framework and policies.
The commitment is first reflected in the student admission process. Rector’s Regulation Number 3 of 2023, amended by Rector’s Regulation Number 4 of 2023, outlines the principles governing the admission of new students to undergraduate and applied undergraduate programs at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). It emphasizes the concept of fairness in student admission processes, stated explicitly in Rector’s Regulation Number 11 Year 2019 Article 9. Admission is conducted based on fairness and equality, ensuring that opportunities are open and accessible to all prospective students, regardless of socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity, or religion. The regulation is aimed at creating an inclusive and non-discriminatory admission process, aligning with UGM’s mission to uphold diversity and excellence.
The admission policy is also aligned with the previous admission policy in Rector’s Regulation Number 11 Year 2019 Article 9 which stated the accessibility of higher education for the affiliation for the specific Province, Papua. These policies ensure that admission provides equal opportunity and no gender-based bias for individuals from diverse backgrounds. The admissions are based on candidates’ academic achievements, potential, and abilities, with fairness applied to all. The admission process itself is conducted transparently to ensure accountability and trust.
Non-discrimination policy also guarantees equal treatment for all individuals, regardless of gender. This is articulated in the Trustee Board’s Regulations Number 1 Year 2023, which emphasizes the creation of a safe and inclusive campus environment free from sexual violence, bullying, and discrimination. The university’s Strategic Plan for 2022 – 2027 outlines a commitment to inclusivity and gender equality. It ensures that women have equal opportunities in applications, admissions, and participation in Initiatives addressing gender issues through research, seminars, public discussions, training, and community service. This is mostly led by the UGM’s Women’s Studies Center, established in 1991. These efforts directly and indirectly impact gender equality within the university and the broader community.
UGM’s commitments to gender equality addressed all types of enrollment, including employee enrollment. The outcomes of implementing these policies have not only proven the increasing rate of student female admission and graduation rates but also increased the number of women in faculty and staff positions. The figure below shows the percentage of women and men for UGM’s faculty and staff in the years 2023 and 2024.
Percentage of Women and Men UGM’s Faculty in 2023 and 2024
Percentage of Women and Men UGM’s Staff in 2023 and 2024
The figure above shows the percentage of women and men for UGM’s faculty and staff in the years 2023 and 2024. Pie charts are available through the Directorate Human Resources website.
"UGM’S INITIATIVES FOR WOMEN’S ACCESS AND SUPPORT: PROMOTING GENDER DIVERSITY"
UGM recognizes the need to support women’s access to and success in higher education. The university has implemented a range of initiatives to promote gender diversity, including mentorship and support programs, scholarships, and financial aid.
Mentoring and Support Programs
UGM’s Women’s Studies Center, established in 1991, focuses on research, advocacy, and community service related to women’s issues, providing a platform for mentorship and support. These efforts directly and indirectly impact gender equality within the university and the broader community.
The Directorate of Academic Studies and Innovation at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again collaborated with the Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC) at Sookmyung Women’s University to organize a specialized training program for female students within its consortium. The training program is Sookmyung UNESCO-UNITWIN Digital and Leadership Training 2023. APWINC is an initiative aimed at promoting gender equality and empowerment among young women (female students) by enhancing their potential and skills in the field of information and communication technology (ICT), particularly digital technology, across the Asia-Pacific region. From UGM, 12 female students from various faculties and schools were selected to participate in this program through a rigorous training and selection process conducted earlier at the university.
The participants were divided into two main classes: the Digital Advanced Workshop and Hackathon, focusing on learning programming and UI/UX design to develop an application project, and the Digital Entrepreneurship & Leadership Advanced Workshop and Hackathon, aimed at realizing creative ideas and business plan development, which were then materialized into digital application designs. One of the UGM students, Nasywa Naurah Alawal from the Faculty of History, is one of the best participants in the Sookmyung UNESCO-UNITWIN Digital and Leadership Training 2023.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Scholarships that are addressed explicitly for women are also provided in UGM. One is the THIESS Women and Diversity Undergraduate Scholarship Program. This program offers financial support to female students pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering and related fields, aiming to enhance diversity within these disciplines.
A scholarship program for graduate students (https://www.pasca.ugm.ac.id/v3.0/id/release.sub-5389) has shown that of the 46 admitted, 60.87% or 28 individuals are women, and 39.13% are men, distributed across almost all programs and fields of study at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (SPs UGM).
Since 2004, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards program has been implemented in Indonesia in collaboration with the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia to recognize, encourage, and support women in the field of science. Several researchers from UGM have been receiving this fellowship, one of which is Widiastuti Setyaningsih from the Faculty of Agriculture Engineering.
UGM facilitates access to scholarships the British Council offers, enabling female students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the UK. The scholarship is called Scholarships for Women in STEM. Another fellowship is the Gadjah Mada International Fellowship (GMIF), which provides opportunities for international female students to pursue master’s degrees at UGM, fostering a diverse academic environment.
By implementing these initiatives, UGM is making significant progress towards achieving SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The university’s commitment to gender equality is evident in its data collection and analysis, its regulatory framework, and its various initiatives to support women’s access to and success in higher education.
Overall Report for SDG 1 to 17
UGM annually reports its achievements in implementing “Tri Dharma” and its contribution to society through Dies Natalis UGM, which is conducted at the end of each year by inviting all academic staff and students as well as the university’s partners. UGM also publishes a Sustainable Development Report annually.
- UGM’s SDGs Report 2023