Charles University wins the European EU Award for Gender Equality Champions!
Charles University has been recognised in the European competition EU Award for Gender Equality Champions 2026, joining the group of institutions praised by the European Commission for systematic, long-term work on gender equality and for improving conditions for both students and staff in academia. The award confirms that equal opportunities at Charles University are not merely a statement of intent, but a measurable, sustained and practically embedded part of our institutional culture.
Email signature banner for 2026
To mark this achievement, a dedicated email signature banner is available to showcase Charles University’s success in the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions. All Charles University employees are welcome to use it, both to share the university’s achievement externally and to help raise awareness of why equality and meaningful institutional change matter in academic settings.
You can easily add the banner using the university’s signature generator (select "Render Gender Equality banner").
What is the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions?
The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions is an initiative of the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation). Its purpose is to highlight and strengthen institutions that implement thoughtful and effective Gender Equality Plans (GEPs)—strategies and concrete measures aimed at reducing inequalities and removing barriers in research and higher education. The award supports several key objectives: it reinforces the Horizon Europe requirement for research and higher education institutions to have a Gender Equality Plan in place as an eligibility condition for certain types of funding. It encourages real change across the European Research Area (ERA), it contributes to the wider transformation agenda for universities under the new European strategy for universities and it helps build a community of inspiring institutions that motivate others and underline why equality and fair conditions in academia must be addressed systematically. The award is administered by the European Research Executive Agency (REA), and winners are selected by an independent expert jury in individual categories.
Award categories
The prize is awarded in three categories: Sustainable Gender Equality Champions - for institutions with long-term, demonstrable results and a high level of implementation of their GEP. Newcomer Gender Equality Champions - for institutions that have recently completed implementation of their first GEP and achieved the most significant progress. Inclusive Gender Equality Champions - for institutions with an innovative and inclusive GEP that, in addition to gender, considers intersections with at least two other social categories (e.g., ethnicity, socio-economic background, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability) and delivers concrete outcomes.
What this win means for Charles University
This award is an important milestone for Charles University in several respects. First, it is international recognition that the university can improve study, work and research conditions in a systematic and sustained way at a level that meets the highest European standards. Second, the award strengthens Charles University’s credibility within the European Research Area. Gender Equality Plans are now a core part of the Horizon Europe framework, and this success demonstrates that Charles University approaches institutional change and equal opportunities seriously not only on paper, but in day-to-day practice. Finally, it positions Charles University as an active member of a community of inspiring institutions that encourage others to make equality and fair conditions a standard across academic and research environments.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us.