Academic Excellence and Gender Equality Go Hand in Hand—bukof’s Statement on the Proposed Amendment to the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act

Statement by bukof on the Proposed Amendment to the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG)

The WissZeitVG is set to be reformed. This is an important step toward improving working conditions in academia. However, from a gender equality perspective, the current draft bill from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) dated May 26, 2026, for a law to modernize fixed-term employment law in the academic sector does not yet go far enough. The draft bill for a law to modernize fixed-term employment law in the
academic sector dated May 26, 2026, can be found here.
Academic careers do not unfold under gender-neutral conditions. Fixed-term contracts, caregiving responsibilities, and uncertain career paths affect researchers differently and exacerbate existing inequalities.

In its statement on the current draft, the Federal Conference of Women’s and Equal Opportunity Officers at Universities (bukof) therefore calls for improvements in four key areas:

• Anchor gender equality as a goal of the WissZeitVG
• Create reliable career paths instead of a chain of fixed-term contracts
• Effectively account for care work and eliminate disadvantages associated with part-time work
• Promote a democratic, family-friendly, and resilient academic culture

The detailed statement by bukof on the planned amendment to the
(WissZeitVG) can be found here. Further information on bukof’s work can be found on this website.