Ironically, less than a third of professors in Norway are women. Based on the experiences gained from the BALANSE programme, the Research Council has issued six recommendations and six actions to improve gender balance in academia.
We have to work harder and more meaningfully to achieve a better gender balance in academia. It took a long time to reach this important goal, says Mary Sondley Tveit, director of the Research Council.
Recommendations
- Administrative commitment
Take responsibility! Managerial commitment, will and clear ambitions are essential to success. - target number
Map out the situation and prepare Objectives of what needs to be achieved. - Transparency
Be open about upcoming announcements, career paths, and requirements. What is required, what is evaluated and how? - Flexibility
Make room for several ways to be a scholar. It’s just not a perfect idea for a researcher. - career planning
Systematically arrange career development, and make it a mandatory part of the employee interview. - knowledge of equality
Decide whether this is a competency that the organization should acquire or develop on its own. Knowledge of gender and equality is a prerequisite for being able to work well and purposefully to improve gender balance.
Recommendations and measures are something all institutions and organizations can implement. It is said to have a clear positive effect. At the same time, it’s important to remember that gender balance is not an “easy fix.” The most important measure is that management at all levels is united because it wants to do something about gender balance.
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