The university does not see the need for a 4-year diploma to be an equality agent: “A master’s degree was enough”

The Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, who had disappeared these days in the midst of the crisis due to the cases of sexual harassment which are bleeding the PSOE, was responsible for making the announcement. As he explained, the Council of Ministers had just approved the bill establishing a specific qualification (diploma or master’s degree) to be a gender agent. But this regulation will also serve to professionally accredit those that already exist. The irony is that this figure of the equality agentit is assumed, would be responsible for detect the type of sexist behavior which have been made public in recent days in the within the socialist party and this led some of its leaders to resign. “We want to guarantee the quality of equality services,” Redondo wanted to emphasize to justify this new bill, which will have to be approved by the general courts.

From an academic point of view, several sources agree to tell ABC that it doesn’t make much sense to offer such a specific degree (4 years, 2,400 hours). In fact, during the time of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, there were already plans to obtain a degree in equality, an idea that was ultimately abandoned. “Then we realized that there was not enough subject to occupy four years,” explains Rafael Ramiro, professor of business management at Icade and independent consultant. This expert believes that “a master’s degree was enough” and that it therefore makes no sense to launch a diploma. “This can be problematic. Even qualifying training could be enough,” he concludes.

Ismael Sanz, director of the Education sector at Funcas, speaks in a similar vein, recognizing that the subject lends itself more to a master’s degree than to a university degree, which always tends to be more general. “In any case, what is really important is that the diploma is of high quality and rigorous. We will have to see the placement data that in a few years I will be able to practice this profession”, he adds. “These graduates will only be able to practice in very specific professions. Isn’t this closing the professional doors? ¿And it’s not discriminatory for those who have studied labor relations or human resources», asks Ramiro.

It is the universities which propose, not the government

There is another interesting point that several sources consulted agree to emphasize: it is the universities which, in the first place, offer the new university degrees, but these must go through a process of approval and accreditation by national (ANECA) and regional organizations before they can be taught. It is not the government that provides the degrees that need to be taught.

From a more business point of view, this new government announcement represents a certain shielding of this figure within businesses and the Administration. “In a few years, these professionals will become widespread in companies,” believes the Icade expert. In fact, as Sara Álvarez, from Adecco, points out, there are even labels of distinction for entities that have equality officers. In this consulting company oriented towards employment and human resources, this figure is already present, which, summarizes Álvarez, concerns the “promotion of equity” and which there are no prejudices when recruiting new staffbut also to detect certain gaps or raise staff awareness.

“The degree of implementation is not the same in all sectors, but with this regulation it is obvious that it is strengthened,” says Álvarez. Beyond the consequences that this regulation of the profession could have in the future or that everything could ultimately end in fireworks, de Redondo’s gesture can be read as an attempt by the government to divert attention from the internal crisis it is currently going through.

“We seek to avoid professional intrusions”

But the Equalities Minister pushed a different story to justify the announcement. With the creation of a specific qualification to be an equality agent, he said, “he seeks to avoid professional intrusions”as well as by accrediting the technical training of already existing equality officers and giving the sector legal certainty. As explained, there will be a transitional period of 10 years so that this new certification can be obtained by demonstrating experience in the sector. That is to say: in the next decade, those who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher professional training in the field of gender studies and who have three consecutive years of experience in the sector (or five non-consecutive years) will be able to be accredited. The professional title will be issued by the competent universities.

Is there something similar in the Spanish university scene? Today they can be followed on many Spanish campuses, public and private, master’s degree in gender studies and derivatives. However, there have never been any degrees, except for the one offered by the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Sociocultural Gender Studies.

This professional certification, declared the equality officer, is a historic demand, “a long-standing aspiration” both by the professional sector of equality agents and by feminist movements. In this sense, he recalled that in 2011, the Women’s Institute had started work aimed at recognizing this qualification for equality agents. Regarding the deadlines managed by the Executive, the minister, surrounded by the former Minister of Education Pilar Alegría and the Minister of Universities, Diana Morant, predicted that they hope that the preliminary project “becomes a reality” next year 2026.