However, active recruitment of female academics can only be successful if it can be based on a position that appeals to female academics in terms of content. In the case of professorships, the process begins with the preparation of the profile paper. Active recruitment must be embedded in gender-equitable academic appointment and recruitment procedures. Appointment regulations and recruitment guidelines must be reviewed in this respect and modified if necessary.

Substitute professorships can improve the chances of being appointed. The appointment of substitute professorships should therefore also be regulated in a transparent and gender-equitable manner.

In this context, the discussion about a new assessment culture with regard to "academic age" and publication performance, which began before the coronavirus crisis, plays a role. In particular, the aim is a more individualised, qualitative assessment of the person and their respective academic performance. The DFG has already responded to this with a position paper (DFG 2022a) and the introduction of a new CV format(see DFG). Universities have the option of committing to the DORA declaration.

This could make it possible, for example, to take into account research stays cancelled during the coronavirus crisis and any extended qualification phases, publication gaps, etc., which particularly affected female researchers (see Gender Care Gap) (DFG 2022).

In addition, equal representation is recommended for scientific positions that are not subject to directives (e.g. tenure track professorships, research group leaders). If a man is appointed to a key position, a transparent and detailed explanation should be provided as to why a female academic could not be recruited (Leopoldina 2022). The HRK (2022, 2) advocates that "in the medium and long term [...] every second professorship should be filled by a woman if appropriate gender representation is to be achieved."

The DFG (2022) recommends employment relationships with reliable contract durations and permanent mid-level positions (see also Leopoldina 2022) or expanding qualifications to permanent positions and opening up career paths alongside professorships.

Support measures should be more subject-specific. Postdoctoral researchers should be approached in a targeted, structured, subject-specific and individualised manner for career-promoting instruments. The individual instrument of mentoring programmes has proven its worth and should be continued (DFG 2022).

The attractiveness of the university as an employer is also essential for attracting female academics. Family-friendly structures, which also include caring for family members, are recommended, as are dual career programmes (possibly as part of "cluster hiring") and structured onboarding (Leopoldina 2022).

To ensure that the potential of female scientists can also be better utilised in internationalisation in the future (see Gender Career Gap), structural causes and institutional hurdles as well as scientific exclusion mechanisms must be counteracted more strongly with differentiated measures. At the same time, gender knowledge and gender equality expertise must be increased. Gender equality should be recognised and communicated as a prerequisite for excellence. In particular, more female scientists should be recruited as hosts and male hosts should nominate or invite female scientists more frequently. In view of the fact that men make greater use of family policy benefits, greater differentiation is required between measures that support families and those that promote gender equality (Löther et al. 2022, 8)