We are pleased to announce that the second meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fahrenheit Universities Women's Club (FarU Women's Club), founded on June 21, 2023, was held on September 25, 2023. On September 19, 2023, the association received approval from the Assembly of the Daniel Fahrenheit Association of Universities in Gdańsk to register under the name Fahrenheit Universities Women's Club.

The association aims to realise activities for cooperation, exchange of experiences, awareness-building around equality issues and mutual support of female researchers and employees of Fahrenheit Universities. Female researchers and employees associated with the Medical University of Gdańsk, the Technical University of Gdańsk and the University of Gdańsk established the association on June 21, 2023, at a meeting at the Welcome Centre of the University of Gdańsk.

The FarU Women's Club was established during the June 21, 2023 founding meeting. The meeting was opened by the Director of the Daniel Fahrenheit Universities Union in Gdańsk, prof. dr hab. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska, and chaired by her deputy, mgr Katarzyna Zygmunt. Short speeches and a discussion of objectives and forms of action preceded the debate on formal matters.

Professor Ewa Łojkowska, a biotechnologist from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, was asked to take the floor first. In her speech, she discussed data from a report prepared at the end of 2020 by the Social Responsibility Committee of the University of Gdańsk entitled 'Women in Science - Managing Diversity and Gender Equality in the Social Responsibility of the University of Gdańsk'. She then presented the activities implemented within the framework of the 'Gender Equality Implementation Plan at the University of Gdańsk - Equality Actions for 2022-2023' implemented at UG in December 2021 and within the HORYZONT 2020 MINDtheGEP (Modifying Institution by Developing Gender Equality Plan) project implemented in 2022-2025 at the University of Gdańsk.

In the following part of her speech, she talked about:

• the launch of the Women in Science. Elisabeth Koopman-Hewelius website at UG
• the systematic addition of biographies of women important to the development of Gdańsk science to the Gedanopaedia
• the establishment of a special award at the University of Gdańsk entitled I include gender in research
• the organisation of family rooms at the various faculties of the University of Gdańsk.

Another speech entitled 'Feminatives - fashion or need?' was given by prof. dr hab. Małgorzata Książek - Czermińska from the Faculty of Philology of the UG. She said, among other things: ‘As far as the linguistic aspects of feminatives and their use is concerned, they are simply a fact. It is also a fact that this phenomenon has existed in language since language began to function in the social dimension. The problems start when we shade in how a given feminine noun should be formed. Linguists, on the other hand, have noted the existence of feminatives almost since the early days of dictionaries. A separate 'Dictionary of Female Names in Polish Language', edited by Katarzyna Hołojda, has also been compiled.’

From a historical perspective, the third speaker, prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko from the Faculty of History of the University of Gdańsk talked more extensively about women in science. She began her presentation by reminding us that women were only admitted to academic education in the 19th century and only in parts of Europe. She then mentioned the herstories of women associated with the development of science in Gdańsk, including a profile of Elżbieta Koopman-Heweliusz. In the remainder of her presentation, the historian referred, among other things, to data indicating that processes related to the achievement of equal participation of women and men in science (especially at its higher levels) are still taking shape. ‘The Jan Hevelius Science Prize of the City of Gdańsk has been awarded since 1988. There are 51 men and six women among the winners and laureates. Does the fact that there are so many or only so many women among the laureates indicate our contribution to Gdańsk science?’ she said.

In the second part of the founding meeting, the participants discussed and adopted the Statutes of the Fahrenheit Universities Women's Club Association. They then elected its Executive Board, the Audit Committee and the Peer Court.

By majority vote, prof. dr hab. Ewa Łojkowska was elected president of the FarU Women's Club, and the Board of Directors consisted of:

• prof. dr hab. Joanna Janczewska, PG
• prof. dr hab. Ewa Lechman, PG
• prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko, UG
• prof. dr hab. Małgorzata Myśliwiec, MUG
• dr hab. Aleksandra Gaworska-Krzemińska, prof. MUG
• dr hab. Dorota Pyć, prof. UG
• dr hab. inż. Małgorzata Śmiałek-Telega, prof. PG
• mgr Sylwia Dudkowska-Kafar, UG
• mgr Ewa Kiszka, MUG
• mgr Magdalena Nieczuja-Goniszewska, UG

At the inaugural meeting of the Women's Club, membership declarations were collected, and it was agreed that the membership fee would be 100 PLN per year.

At its first meeting on July 10, 2023, the FarU Women's Club Board was constituted.

The vice-presidents became:

• prof. dr hab. Joanna Janczewska of the Gdańsk University of Technology
• prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko from the University of Gdańsk
• prof. dr hab. Małgorzata Myśliwiec from the Medical University of Gdańsk.

Mgr Sylwia Dudkowska-Kafar was elected secretary of the Board, and dr Małgorzata Śmiałek-Telega was elected treasurer.

The Audit Committee consisted of:

• prof. dr hab. Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska from the Medical University of Gdańsk as its Chairperson.
• prof. dr hab. Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska, MUG
• dr hab. Magdalena Nowak, prof. UG,
•  dr hab. Julita Wasilczuk, PG.

The Colleague Court was composed of:

• prof. dr hab. Maria Mendel, University of Gdańsk - as its chairperson
• prof. dr hab. inż. Magdalena Gajewska, PG
• prof. dr hab. Maria Mendel, UG,
• mgr Magdalena Warzocha, MUG.

During the second FarU Women's Club Board meeting, held on September 25, 2023, the programme of forthcoming activities was discussed, as well as the Club's working methods enabling all its members to be active. A date was also set for the next meeting.

It was also decided that an event bringing together all those from Fahrenheit Universities who are interested in becoming members of the FarU Women's Club will be held at Gdańsk University of Technology on November 20, 2023, at 4 p.m. in the Main Hall of Gdańsk University of Technology. Details of the programme for the day are currently being finalised. Information on it will be provided shortly.