Abstract:  This article examines the development and implementation of the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana—the first faculty in Slovenia to adopt such a framework. Using the feminist institutionalist perspective, the study explores the interaction between external top‐down pressures, such as the European Commission’s Horizon Europe mandate, and internal bottom‐up initiatives driven by long‐standing debates on gender‐sensitive language and the Slovenian #MeToo movement. Through a qualitative analysis of institutional documents, personal reflections, and project reports, this article highlights the role of critical actors in promoting institutional change. By illustrating the interplay between external mandates and grassroots advocacy, the article argues that meaningful institutional transformation requires both structural change and internal commitment. The findings offer a model for implementing GEPs in academic institutions, emphasizing the importance of aligning policy requirements with institutional practices to ensure sustainable and effective gender equality initiatives.

Keywords:  #MeToo movement; critical actors; feminist institutionalism; Gender Equality Plans; gender‐sensitive language; institutional reform; sexual harassment

Published:   5 June 2025

Issue:   Vol 13 (2025): Gender Equality Plans in European Research Performing Organisations (In Progress)