ODBK Gender Equality Plan (GEP)

In line with Horizon Europe requirements
Approved by the ODBK Board – Valid from 2025–2028

1. Organisational Commitment

ODBK is committed to promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in all its internal operations and public-facing activities. As an organisation focused on democratic participation and equitable decision-making in the arts and cultural sector, gender equality is central to our mission.

The ODBK Board formally endorses this Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which will be:

  • Publicly available on the ODBK website.

  • Formally monitored and updated every two years.

  • Supported with dedicated resources, including staff hours and a small annual budget line for training and monitoring.

A GEP Lead (a designated board member) oversees implementation.

2. Gender-Disaggregated Data Collection and Monitoring

Because ODBK is a small organisation, we implement a proportional and streamlined monitoring process, revised annually.

Data collected each year

  • Gender distribution across:
    • Board members
    • Volunteers
    • Project collaborators
    • External experts and workshop facilitators

  • Gender composition of:
    • Panels
    • Committees
    • Project teams

  • Pay equity (for paid roles)

  • Participation in training and professional development

  • Reports or incidents related to discrimination or harassment

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

  • Maintain 40–60% gender balance in the Board.

  • Achieve minimum 40% representation of women and underrepresented genders among expert collaborators.

  • All recruitment ads use gender-neutral language (100%).

  • All workshops or events led by ODBK achieve balanced gender representation among speakers or facilitators.

3. Training and Capacity Building

ODBK commits to strengthening gender awareness across the organisation.

Actions

  • Annual training on:
    • unconscious gender bias
    • inclusive decision-making
    • identifying discriminatory patterns in cultural institutions
    • preventing gender-based harassment

  • Short training included in onboarding for all new staff or long-term volunteers.

  • Participation in external DEI and gender-equality networks and events.

Targets

  • At least 1 training session per year.

  • 100% of long-term collaborators trained by end of 2026.

4. Thematic Areas and Practical Actions

4.1 Work–Life Balance and Organisational Culture

Given ODBK’s flexible and distributed structure, the organisation adopts:

  • Flexible working hours for all staff and volunteers.

  • Default availability of remote participation for meetings and workshops.

  • Care-friendly scheduling for events (avoid late evenings, minimise weekend work).

  • A culture of respect, non-discrimination, and zero tolerance for harassment.

Metric: Internal annual survey shows ≥80% agreement on:
“ODBK supports a respectful, inclusive, and flexible working environment.”

4.2 Gender Balance in Leadership and Decision-Making

Actions:

  • Maintain a minimum 40% gender representation on the board.

  • Require gender-balance in all internal committees and decision-making groups.

  • If balance cannot be achieved due to low applicant numbers, ODBK will:
    • actively search for candidates from underrepresented genders
    • ensure transparent justification
    • appoint interim observers to diversify discussions

Metric: Annual board gender ratio meets the 40–60% goal.

4.3 Gender Equality in Recruitment, Collaborations, and Career Development

Actions:

  • All job descriptions reviewed for gender-neutral and inclusive language.

  • Shortlists must include at least one candidate from an underrepresented gender, unless no such candidates apply.

  • For project collaborations, ODBK will encourage gender balance in:
    • speakers
    • panelists
    • artists
    • advisory groups

  • Offer mentoring, professional development opportunities, and leadership pathways for early-career women and non-binary professionals in the arts.

Metrics:

  • At least 40% of new collaborators come from underrepresented genders.

  • Zero pay gap for equivalent roles.

4.4 Integrating the Gender Dimension in ODBK’s Activities and Outputs

As ODBK’s mission is to democratise decision-making in the arts, its work must reflect intersectionality.

Actions:

  • Integrate gender-related questions in:
    • community engagement
    • co-creation workshops
    • surveys
    • stakeholder mapping

  • Analyse gendered differences in participation in all democratic decision-making mechanisms (e.g., voting tools, participatory indicators, PTI).

  • Ensure that outputs (reports, indicators, recommendations) explicitly consider gender impacts on artistic visibility, market access, and institutional decision-making.

Metrics:

  • 100% of new public-facing projects document how gender was considered.

  • Annual reporting includes gender participation data.

4.5 Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and Harassment

Actions:

  • Zero-tolerance policy on harassment and discrimination.

  • Formal reporting mechanism:
    • confidential email
    • possibility of anonymous submission
    • clear steps for investigation

  • Appoint a “Safe Contact Person” (trained individual).

  • Annual review of incidents and responses.

Metrics:

  • All collaborators receive anti-harassment guidelines.

  • All reports addressed within 30 days.

5. Implementation Timeline (2025–2028)

Year 1 (2025)

  • Publish GEP online.

  • Conduct baseline gender audit.

  • Launch annual gender equality training.

  • Introduce gender KPIs and integrate into HR procedures.

Year 2 (2026)

  • Implement gender balance targets in leadership and collaborations.

  • Strengthen monitoring procedures.

  • Expand gender dimension integration into all projects.

Year 3 (2027)

  • Update policies based on monitoring.

  • Deepen staff training and sector partnerships.

  • Benchmark ODBK practices against similar cultural institutions.

Year 4 (2028)

  • Full evaluation of GEP.

  • Update and publish next 4-year plan.

6. Accountability and Communication

  • GEP Lead reports annually to the Board.

  • Annual Gender Equality Report published online.

  • GEP is updated every 4 years, with mid-term review.