As I approach the end of my tenure as Vice President for Gender Equality and Core Values, I would like to reflect on developments over these past six years – mainly to hand over to a new management team, but also to energise those who have worked with me for their continued efforts. A government … Continue reading “Awareness and knowledge make changes possible”
It bears repeating again and again: leadership is absolutely crucial to bring about desired changes in an organisation. Leaders can convince their co-workers that there are problems and challenges that they need to be aware of if they are to help bring about change. Leaders can pre-empt problems by initiating proactive processes for change, by … Continue reading “Leadership for change”
For the first time, Swedish universities and colleges have conducted a national survey on gender-based vulnerability and sexual harassment in the academic sphere. A total of almost 39,000 employees, doctoral candidates and students have responded. The responses confirm that women are particularly vulnerable. The survey included various kinds of questions aiming to capture the complex … Continue reading “Gender-based vulnerability in academia and at KTH”
How can we measure progress when it comes to gender equality? One way is to make a list and then tick things off. Statistics Sweden has created a set of gender-based statistics that are invaluable for all change work in Sweden. Statistics of the gender balance in different categories and salary mapping are produced in … Continue reading “How can we monitor cultural change?”
On one of our courses, the question was asked whether it would not be better simply always to talk about social equality. In other words, why do we need the concept of gender equality when social equality already includes gender and other power dimensions? This is a relevant and frequently recurring question. There are historical … Continue reading “Gender equality or social equality”
Engagement or power? A willingness to change or a higher number of women? There are several aspects to consider when a gender equality university genuinely aims to become that. Numerically, for example, the number of female professors, is not the sole yardstick, however. Most Swedish universities and university colleges have engaged in gender equality work … Continue reading “Are numbers more important than power?”
