Professor Gerd Bjørhovde, University of Tromsø,Chair, Norwegian Committee for Gender Balance in Research

The Norwegian Committee for Gender Balance in Research:

Ten years of challenges and achievements

SAPGERIC conference, Vilnius, November 21-22, 2013

The Norwegian Committee for Gender Balance in Research (short form Kif Committee) was first appointed as a three-year experiment in 2004, to improve gender mainstreaming in Norway. This new construction was considered successful enough to be continued for another three-year period from 2007, and when the present committee was (re-)appointed in 2010, the then Minister of Research and Higher Education expressed her ambition to make it a permanent body. This was considered solid backing of a committee which has a unique in-between position within the Norwegian research system.

MonitoringIts mandate gives the Kif Committee a ”direct” line to the Ministry, but at the same time Kif is expected to be independent and free-spoken – and express criticism if necessary, of government as well as institutions.

The ”watchdog” function of the Kif Committee is crucial.

Some facts and figures

So, have we reached a gender-balanced sector? No, but we are heading in the right direction.

Next: two graphs, one showing the development in the sector from the late 1980s to 2008, and one showing the situation in 2011.

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Other outcomes - publicationsSome examples of publications which we have been able to produce thanks to input from and cooperation with the sector – universities, colleges and research institutes.First – a booklet containing suggestions and a checklist for institutions working to improve their gender balance and commitment to diversity. Several such initiatives have been taken by the Kif committee - cooperation with for instance the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR), which houses our secretariat; or as in the present case, cooperation with the Norwegian Equality Ombud.

Talent at Stake (2010), a handbook on good leadership strategies in the research sector (a Kif publication, in both Norwegian and

English)

Next, one of our most recent publications, a product of Nordic cooperation, with ministries as well as the Nordic Council of Ministers. It was published online a year ago in a Norwegian version, and with an English-language paper version printed earlier this year. This publication, compiled by dr.polit. Solveig Bergman, provides quite a lot of information about the gender balance situation in and some of the differences between the Nordic countries. And it also demonstrates that – surprisingly – we still lack quite a lot of information about these differences. There is still work to do!

Some of our reports offer advice to the government and the higher education and research sectors:

What works?

The institutional visits (35 universities, university colleges, and research institutes visited so far over the years, some of them more than once), combined with publicity and clear messages.

Regular meetings with important partners: The Ministry of Education and Research and The Norwegian Research Council are particularly important partners (are represented in the Kif Committee by one observer each).

The impact of a committee visit

“A visit from the KIF Committee can mean the difference between no focus on gender equality and being the best in the class, measured by the percentage of women professors. As long as the best in the class is 27 percent, there is no doubt that more visits are needed.”

http://eng.kifinfo.no/nyhet/vis.html?tid=85551

The annual NOK 2 million gender equality prize awarded by the Ministry of Education and Research (likestillingsprisen), since 2007). Best practice awards help improve consciousness and dedication.

Leadership involvement and dedication (a continuous challenge, but we see great improvement: competition works in this sector.)

The networks (national, institutional, and thematic), annual meetings for people working in the sector.

Conferences and seminars that focus on relevant issues, such as ‘what is quality’, or ‘excellence’, and how do we improve gender awareness in the sector generally, among leaders particularly?

Government involvement: Clear messages and dedication from the government are needed, too.

Involvement by both men and women is crucial for a more gender balanced world of research

A dedicated Kif Committee remains crucial. We are happy to have a mandate which specifies the need for committee members with strong commitment!

Difficulties/challenges?

Funding! The Kif budget has remained unchanged since 2004. This may seem to suggest that our work is not given enough attention, or priority.

A sector undergoing rapid changes – the trend towards more autonomy means giving more power to individual institutions. Can we trust that the sector will keep the positive focus that we have seen these last years, if they are left to their own devices?

The Kif Committee (minus two male members) plus Secretariat on a recent institutional visit, to the University College of Sogn og Fjordane in Sogndal.

Norway now has a new government, and the present Kif Committee is stepping down in December. We are eagerly awaiting the appointment of a new committee any day now, to carry on the work for a more gender-balanced, which means more inclusive, just, and perhaps even more exciting world of research.

Intensify the effort!

The Norwegian research sector is unanimous in its recommendation that the Committee for Gender Balance in Research should continue. The committee’s concluding report shows that there remain large areas in need of attention.

See http://eng.kifinfo.no/nyhet/vis.html?tid=84115