The selection panel stressed that numerous equality measures at Freie Universität are a model for other universities. These include the systematic integration of gender aspects in the study and examination regulations, the digital "Toolbox Gender and Diversity in Teaching," and the anchoring of gender controlling in the Strategic Planning and Reporting unit.

Freie Universität has been successful in promoting women, especially at the higher professional levels. The proportion of women in professorships was increased from 35 percent in 2011 to 38 percent in 2016. During that period the proportion of tenured professorships increased from 29 to 32 percent. The proportion of women among the higher scale W3/C4 professorships increased from 24 percent in 2011 to 29 percent in 2016. Women submitted 47 percent of the habilitation theses, and 52 percent of the doctoral degrees were earned by women.

The Chief Gender Equality Officer of Freie Universität Berlin, Mechthild Koreuber, was very pleased about the Total E-Quality award. She said that reflection on the progress in gender equality and diversity policies, which is linked to the application, is an important element in cultural change at the university. The president of Freie Universität, Prof. Dr. Peter-André Alt, emphasized that Freie Universität has been attaching great importance to equal opportunities for decades, and effective implementation is essential to the university's profile. The same obligation now applies to dealing with diversity at all levels.

Total E-Quality e. V. pursues the goal of establishing equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace, with a focus on the promotion of women in management positions. The name of the association stands for "Total Quality Management," a process of quality assurance supplemented by the gender component. The award has been conferred on companies and institutions since 1996. Since 2002 universities and other academic institutions can also be taken into consideration. Since 2015 there is also an award for diversity, which recognizes the institution’s appreciation for the diversity of its employees. The founding of the association was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology and the German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Freie Universität successfully applied for the equal opportunity award in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017.