A statutory requirement: Teaching innovation for gender equality at university

The present article examined the meaning adopted by gender equality policies during their development in the field of university teaching. Discourse provided by 26 teachers in charge of teaching innovation projects pertaining to this topic and members of the committee charged with promoting the program were analysed. The theoretical approach taken indicated two different viewpoints. The first, opportunism, involved specific classroom actions and resulted from a weak reasoning about gender equality. The second, opportunity, visibilised and recognised feminist teaching, involved more robust actions that were sustained over a longer period of time, and evidenced the need for gender equality to continue to permeate institutional culture. Findings encourage greater commitment to innovation as a political act. Such innovation should seek out more horizontal approaches that join project foundations together with the postulates of feminist pedagogy in order to achieve greater impact. •Spanish universities are required by law to introduce gender equality in teaching.•Two discourses are derived from innovation policies: opportunity and opportunism.•Some teaching innovation projects have a feminist position.•Other teaching innovation projects are created under a “pedagogical fad”.•A review of the top-down model of teaching innovation policies is required.