Gender Mainstreaming Plan 2023-2025
Introduction
This plan presents the focus of ongoing gender mainstreaming work for the period 2023–2025. Together with the appendix Horizon Europe, this plan fulfils the requirements set for gender equality plans by the European Commission to permit the University to apply for and receive grants from the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe. The plan specifies clear process objectives and concrete measures to achieve the goals, while the appendix outlines the resources available to support the organisation in implementing the plan, the way the work is followed up and evaluated, and which courses in gender equality and equal opportunities are offered. The plan is also designed to meet the requirements for gender mainstreaming specified in the 2022 appropriation directions for higher education institutions, according to which the institutions must identify gender equality issues within core activities which they can help solve.
Uppsala University’s governance document Mission, Goals and Strategies forms the basis of this work, with equal opportunities and gender equality representing cross-cutting themes of particular importance for the quality of research and education. An equal opportunities perspective must be mainstreamed in all parts of the organisation and the University’s study and work environments must be characterised by openness and respect. What is meant by ‘equal opportunities’ is that everyone working or studying at, or contacting, the University has equal rights and opportunities, regardless of their legal gender [1], gender identity or gender expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, functionality, sexual orientation, age or social background.
Gender mainstreaming – a strategy for increased gender equality
Gender mainstreaming involves integrating a gender equality perspective into all decision-making, at all levels and at all stages of the decision-making process. This should be carried out by all those involved in decision-making. The strategy involves systematically highlighting and analysing the consequences of proposals for both women and men, and is based on mapping and analysing activities from a gender equality perspective and relating the results of that analysis to the activities’ or organisation's gender equality targets. The method of analysis could be quantitative, based on gender-disaggregated statistics, and/or qualitative, based on observations of assessment group meetings, for example.
Organisation of gender mainstreaming
Uppsala University’s decentralised structure means that the challenges linked to increasing gender equality vary greatly in different parts of the organisation. It is therefore important for concrete initiatives and needs analyses to be conducted as locally as possible. Planning and monitoring of targets and measures is conducted within the framework of the University's regular process for operational planning and annual follow-up. The basic principle is that measures designed to increase gender equality are funded by existing budget frameworks via reprioritisations. Responsibility for planning, organising, implementing and following up on these initiatives lies with managers.
In order to establish favourable conditions for these initiatives, central support is offered for the concretization and implementation of the plan: sharing of methods and tools, skills development, dissemination of knowledge and exchange of experience across the University.
The focus of this plan is on gender, and its intention is to identify and resolve gender equality issues at the University. This issue can, however, be coordinated together with other tasks, such as the work environment and equal opportunities, internationalisation, sustainable development, broader recruitment and widening participation.
Goals and measures
The focus for the period 2023–2025 builds further upon previous work and previously identified problems and development areas. [2] The purpose is to focus and direct the entire University’s efforts towards clear, defined goals and to develop preventive measures against sexual harassment and other forms of vulnerability. An important part of this focus has also been the requirement in the 2022 appropriation directions to report how the University takes gender equality into account when allocating research funding. [3] In addition, the EU's funding programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe, specifies requirements for gender equality and unconscious gender bias training for employees and managers.
The focus is on enhancing knowledge and skills in each of the target areas, which in the long run will contribute to the fulfilment of Uppsala University’s vision, goals and strategies. Overall goals and priorities must support the formulations of goals for the disciplinary domains, faculties, departments and other units, as well as the planning of measures based on local conditions and needs.
Goal 1 – Work to counteract bias in recruitment and assessment processes must be long-term and knowledgebased
Well-qualified teachers, researchers and other staff are crucial for achieving the overall goal of conducting education and research of the highest quality and relevance. Work to recruit, develop and retain the right skills must be continuously developed and managed in order for Uppsala University to be an attractive higher education institution for both new and existing employees and students. To succeed in this aim, sustainable and knowledge-based initiatives are required long-term to counter the occurrence of various forms of bias in recruitment and assessment processes. [4]
Problem areas and areas for development
The term ‘bias’ is used to describe an often unconscious distortion in preparatory and decisionmaking processes that favours or disadvantages different individuals and groups. Bias linked to gender and other grounds of discrimination can affect recruitment, promotion and nomination processes, the basis for assessment and related criteria, dissemination of information regarding career opportunities and the division of duties and resources. Practical examples could include how assessment methods affect different groups of applicants, or when decisions are based on irrelevant and deficient information that favours certain people while disadvantaging other groups and individuals. Bias entails a particularly high risk of influencing assessments and decisions when the process is unclear, unstructured and relies on informal communication channels and decision-making pathways.
It is not only the grounds of discrimination that can influence an assessment process. Other factors such as academic rank, affiliation with a certain research discipline or education, use of qualitative or quantitative methods, higher education institution affiliation, geographical origin or language can also lead to bias during assessments and/or create hierarchies. [5]
Everyone has unconscious bias, and organisational practices and processes can to varying degrees leave room for bias to influence decision-making. [6] Bias poses a risk and a challenge to meritocracy, [7] but is also a matter of fairness and a quality-assured process. In all work involving assessments, enhanced and continuously updated skills are needed to ensure processes can be structured to prevent the occurrence of bias. One way to develop concrete, local measures to counteract bias is to review all steps of assessment processes to identify how and where possible distortions occur that could lead to incorrect decisions.
Recruitment processes consist of several different stages, from needs analyses and person specifications to advertising, selection and assessment, terms of employment and employment decisions, introduction of new members of staff and follow-up. Bias can occur in each stage of the preparatory and decision-making process, and small distortions at various different stages can cumulatively lead to major consequences for the outcome. The process should guarantee that those who are most qualified have both the opportunity to apply for and be offered advertised positions. Broad advertising and the content of the person specification are particularly important for widening the recruitment pool and promoting external recruitment, gender equality, diversity and internationalisation. [8] It is also a matter of identifying and developing effective methods for widening the search and distribution of the advert to as many qualified applicants as possible. The
Appointment Regulations require all decisions concerning recruitment of professors to be preceded by such measures to ensure qualified applicants regardless of their gender. [9]
It is not sufficient to counteract bias in the recruitment process; the problem also lies in the opportunities to qualify for a further career at the University. Assessment and bias in career pathways and when dividing up resources can influence the opportunity for individuals and groups to conduct research on equal terms. Resources can refer to how research funding is distributed between women and men internally at the University, but it can also refer to resources in the form of access to mentors and informal networks, for example. [10] Women's and men's prerequisites for pursuing an academic career and conducting research are suitably addressed as part of, or in connection with, the evaluation of research and research environments at disciplinary domains and faculties (Q&R24). [11]
Projects that have received funding for gender mainstreaming can provide inspiration for ongoing work. Issues that have been highlighted are that there are gender differences at the University in terms of time for and utilization of research and in the often invisible service provided at a department, and that this, together with informal criteria for appointing people to various assignments, creates room for gender-stereotypical notions of suitability. Career development within academia is dependent upon getting things right from the start. If individuals and groups are disadvantaged or favoured during their time as a doctoral student and in their early career, this will be reproduced in their continued careers, even in a functioning meritocracy. [12]
Problem areas and areas for development are closely linked to the University's work to ensure and develop the quality of its programmes and broaden the recruitment of students to doctoral education. The path towards an academic career begins as early as at Bachelor’s and Master’s level in the student-teacher relationship. There may be bias in programme content and course design, teaching situations and treatment that all influence who applies for doctoral education.
Measures
To enhance the general conditions for the quality of education and research, it is necessary that the work to counteract bias becomes an integrated part of recruitment and assessment processes. Part of the work involves an implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter & Code) through the HR Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R). One measure in the Charter & Code action plan is to design an online course focusing on methods and working practices that reduce the scope for bias in recruitment and assessment processes. [13] This course can be supplemented by on-site reflection-based activities that tackle specific needs/issues.
The disciplinary domain/faculty boards are responsible for the measures below.
During the period 2023–2025, Uppsala University is to:
- Produce, evaluate and disseminate concrete methods for effective implementation of the following requirements set out in the Appointment Regulations:
- Section 74 To promote gender balance in the area/position category, the person specification for the position must be formulated so as to encourage individuals of the underrepresented legal gender to apply for the position.
- Section 75 A broad analysis, advertisement and active search for potential candidates must be undertaken. Individuals of the underrepresented gender must be encouraged to apply for the position concerned. Vacant positions must be described in gender-neutral terms.
- Apply research-based knowledge of bias-reducing processes and practices when recruiting, promoting and allocating resources.
- Safeguard the quality of the University’s preparatory processes for identifying and nominating qualified researchers, regardless of gender, for external grants. [14]
- Strengthen the University’s capacity to attract excellence funding in international competition by more clearly encouraging and supporting competitive researchers of underrepresented gender to apply for such funding.
Goal 2 – Preventive work against harassment and sexual harassment must adopt a long-term, knowledge-based approach
In accordance with its work environment and equal opportunities policy, Uppsala University is to strive for a work environment characterised by job satisfaction, trust, respect, opportunities for development, participation and security. Furthermore, the University must strive to ensure that all employees and students enjoy equal opportunities for work and study. Uppsala University does not tolerate victimisation, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or reprisals. [15] In line with the University’s Mission, Goals and Strategies, gender equality and equal opportunities should contribute to the creation of attractive, open and inclusive environments for study and work.
In 2021, a national survey was carried out looking at sexual harassment and gender-based vulnerability, with a focus on students, doctoral students and employees at 38 higher education institutions. The questionnaire contained questions on the organisational/social work/study environment, health and well-being, unwanted sexual attention, other people’s vulnerability, motivation and work/study situation. The purpose of the study was to increase knowledge about the occurrence and consequences of gender-based vulnerability and sexual harassment in academia, to analyse the underlying causes and thus create better opportunities to counter harassment, bullying and other unwanted and inappropriate behaviour. A report detailing a selection of collected data from all of the participating institutions was presented in May 2022. [16]
Uppsala University was involved in the study and has ordered its own results tables from Statistics Sweden. These tables contain results in the form of estimated proportions for the entire University for a selection of questions and background variables. [17]
Problem areas and areas for development
In the same way as for the national results, Uppsala University's figures show the occurrence of sexual harassment and other forms of vulnerability among all groups, although different groups seem to be affected to differing degrees. Around four percent of employees, doctoral students and students at Uppsala University state that they have been exposed to sexual harassment at work or their place of study in the past twelve months. People under the age of 50, students and women reported the highest level of vulnerability. Twice as many have become aware that someone has been subjected to sexual harassment compared to those who report being subjected.
Around seven percent have been subjected to bullying in the past twelve months. People aged 30 and above, employees and doctoral students reported the highest level of vulnerability. This indicates that various forms of harassment and vulnerability affect different groups in different ways. About 15 percent state that they have become aware of others being bullied during the past twelve months. Uppsala University's results are in line with the national figures, but there is a tendency towards a statistical difference between Uppsala University (21 percent) and the higher education sector (15 percent) in terms of reported exposure to bullying among female doctoral students.
According to the national survey study, it is mainly men who subject others to sexual harassment. The perpetrators are more often claimed to be employees/colleagues and fellow students than managers/leaders or teachers/supervisors. Creating a good environment for study and work based on respectful treatment between students and employees is therefore a necessary component of the preventive work.
Several aspects of the academic structure and culture are breeding grounds for sexual harassment: Unequal opportunities, groups with insecure employment conditions, different forms of power and dependency relationships, unclear and informal decision-making pathways, competition for money and positions, a culture of silence, an imbalance between formal and informal power where informal power can be seen in the hands of researchers with large external grants. [18]
Discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment have consequences for both individuals and the organisation. People who are sexually harassed develop behaviours that reduce the risk of being exposed, for example by avoiding social contexts at work that are important from a career perspective. They opt out of work environments that are perceived as discriminatory on the basis of gender, which leads to the creation of gender-divided workplaces. There is also a connection between vulnerability to different forms of harassment, ill health and a greater tendency to leave a job or studies.
Long-term, knowledge-based measures to counteract and prevent harassment and sexual harassment can be expected to help ensure that those who work at the University feel good, have the chance to develop and are able to perform better, thus making them want to stay. In addition, such efforts contribute to the creation of good environments for study and work, both of which are important parts of being an attractive higher education institution. Uppsala University must thus strengthen and highlight preventive work against harassment and sexual harassment. That require new expertise and methods and should cover all grounds of discrimination.
Analyses and measures should be based on a thorough problem statement of factors that can contribute to a good work environment and organisational culture, such as leadership, HR processes and practices, transparency and reward systems. The occurrence of sexual harassment is less widespread in organisational cultures that express zero tolerance for such harassment, and in which employees perceive that women and men are treated equally and value organisational fairness more highly. [19]
It is important to include people who observe unacceptable behaviour when pursuing preventive measures, because non-action by those in the immediate environment risks normalising sexual harassment and other forms of vulnerability. Continuous training that aims to teach employees how to intervene when witnessing sexual harassment could reduce the occurrence of such harassment by up to 30 percent.
Measures
The focus here is on measures for preventing harassment and sexual harassment. This work forms part of the systematic work environment and equal opportunities management and touches on many issues addressed in Uppsala University's staff policy. For the measures to be effective, a more thorough understanding of the specific needs in various parts of the University’s activities is required. It is important to be alert to the abuse of power, group dynamics, gender composition in the work group/organisation, the work and gender equality climate, career pathways and career progression systems, and hierarchies between and within research, education and administration.
Managers at all levels of the University are responsible for preventing harassment and sexual harassment. The measures specified below are to be carried out by the HR Division and have the main purpose of supporting the University in this work.
During the period 2023–2025, Uppsala University is to:
- Follow up the results of the aforementioned survey study and the research-based advice and recommendations given there to prevent sexual harassment and gender-based vulnerability.
- Analyse the results for Uppsala University based on the questionnaire study in order to identify which problems exist and which measures need to be taken to prevent harassment and sexual harassment.
- Implement new support materials and working methods based on the provisions for systematic work environment management (AFS 2001:1) and the organisational and social work environment (AFS 2015:4). The equal opportunities perspective is integrated into the work.
- Present, implement and evaluate a survey on harassment and sexual harassment, which is a more in-depth version of the University’s organisational and social work environment survey within systematic work environment work.
- Develop and implement an online course examining domination techniques, with recommendations for what action can be taken by both victims of, and witnesses to, harassment.
- Ensure that management and leadership training courses are designed in a way that ensures managers and leaders gain knowledge about the importance of leadership for preventive work against sexual harassment and harassment.
- Investigate the possibility of regularly offering bystander training to all parts of the University. Bystander training focuses on educating potential witnesses to harassment and sexual harassment so that they recognise and know what to do to help victims.
Footnotes
[1] Legal gender is the gender registered in the population register. There are two legal genders in Sweden: woman and man. The term ‘gender’ refers throughout this document to legal gender.
[2] Uppföljning: Plan för jämställdhetsintegrering 2017-2019 (Follow-up: Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2017–2019), UFV 2016/418. Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2020-2022, UFV 2020/343. KoF17 Quality and Renewal 2017: Research Environment Evaluation at Uppsala University, Uppsala University, 2017.
[3] Since 2018, the appropriation directions have specified that higher education institutions are to report how they take gender equality into account when allocating research funding.
[4] Knowledge-based initiatives are those based on a local common operating picture and designed on the basis of evidence and experienced-based methods. This means working in a systematic and structured manner on gender equality issues.
[5] See e.g. En jämställd process: En kvalitativ undersökning av bedömningen av forskningsbidragsansökningar 2019 (A gender equal process: A qualitative investigation of the assessment of research grant applications 2019), the Swedish Research Council, 2020.
[6] See e.g. Iris Bohnet, What works: Gender equality by design, Harvard University Press, March 2016.
[7] Meritocracy means a selection is carried out on the basis of actual competence relevant to the job (merit).
[8] Utredning av anställningsprocesser vid Uppsala universitet (Investigation of employment processes at Uppsala University), UFV 2018/1173.
[9] Refers to the following fundamental provision in Section 9 of the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University: The disciplinary domain board/faculty board must ensure that all assessment of qualifications is objective and impartial, particularly with regard to legal gender and other grounds of discrimination. In the recruitment of professors at Uppsala University, the faculty board must take stock of all applications received to ensure that there are qualified applicants of both legal genders. If the field of applicants consists only of a single gender, the disciplinary domain board/faculty board must inform the Vice-Chancellor in writing of the measures taken to attract applicants from both legal genders in the recruitment.
[10] Karriärvägar och meriteringssystem i högskolan: Redovisning av ett regeringsuppdrag 2022 (Career paths and merit systems in higher education: Report of a government assignment 2022), Swedish Higher Education Authority, 2022.
[11] Förstudie KoF24: Arbetsgruppens förslag (Q&R24 preliminary study: Working group’s proposal), UFV 2021/524.
[12] ”Särskilda medel för jämställdhetsintegrering 2018 och 2019” (Special funding for gender mainstreaming in 2018 and 2019), UFV 2018/1129. See also Hur jämställt är det i högskolan? Kvinnors och mäns förutsättningar att bedriva forskning (How gender-equal is higher education? Women's and men's preconditions for conducting research, Swedish Research Council, 2021.)
[13] HR-strategy action plan 2021-2024, UFV-PA 2021/4672.
[14] E.g. Fellows and Scholars from the Wallenberg Foundations and Wallenberg’s project funding.
[15] Harassment refers to conduct that violates a person’s dignity and is associated with one of the grounds of discrimination. Sexual harassment means conduct of a sexual nature that violates someone’s dignity. Discrimination Act, Chapter 1, Section 4.
[16] Enkätstudie om: Genusbaserad utsatthet och sexuella trakasserier i svensk högskolesektor (Survey on: Genderbased violence and sexual harassment in the Swedish higher education sector) Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malmö University and the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, University of Gothenburg, May 2022.
[17] Results tables for Uppsala University, UFV 2021/2164.
[18] Problem and development areas are based on the following research reviews and reports: Förebygga sexuella trakasserier i arbetslivet: Vad visar forskning? (Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace: What does research show?) The Equality Ombudsman, 2021:2; Karin Allard, Könsdiskriminering, sexuella trakasserier och ohälsa i arbetslivet (Gender discrimination, sexual harassment and ill health in working life), Swedish Gender Equality Agency, 2021:6; Sexuella trakasserier i akademin: En internationell forskningsöversikt, (Sexual harassment in academia: An international research review), Swedish Research Council, 2018; Efforts to prevent sexual harassment in academia: An international research review, Swedish Council for Higher Education, 2020:1; Universitets och högskolors arbete mot sexuella trakasserier: En undersökning på regeringens uppdrag (The work of universities and colleges against sexual harassment: An investigation commissioned by the government), Swedish Council for Higher Education, 2019:2; Förebyggande arbete mot sexuella trakasserier i svenskt och nordiskt arbetsliv – en forskningsöversik (Preventive work against sexual harassment in Swedish and Nordic working life – a summary), Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, University of Gothenburg, 2020.
[19] Organisational fairness refers to individuals’ opportunities for fair allocation of resources, fair decision-making processes and relational fairness.
Horizon Europe - Appendix to Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2023–2025
Introduction
The European Commission requires higher educational institutions in the EU and associated countries to have a gender equality plan when applying for funds from the Horizon Europe funding programme.
The following document, Horizon Europe, together with the Gender Mainstreaming Plan 2023-2025, fulfils the European Commission’s four mandatory requirements:
- University-wide documents concerning gender equality commitments and activities
- Resources for implementing gender equality
- Monitoring and evaluation of gender equality activities
- Training and awareness-raising activities relating to gender equality
The purpose of the Horizon Europe appendix is thus primarily to ensure that the
University’s researchers are able to apply for funding by reporting how Uppsala University fulfils the requirements specified above.
The document is updated annually.
The University’s Research Handbook presents concrete examples of how sex and/or gender analysis can be applied to research in each of the three disciplinary domains. [1]
University-wide documents
Policy and governance documents
Uppsala University’s approach to equal opportunities encompasses the seven protected grounds of discrimination [2] plus social background.
The focus of this approach is outlined in the University-wide policy and governance documents approved by the University Board and Vice-Chancellor. The document Uppsala University: Mission, Goals and Strategies describes the University’s ambitions and objectives in the short and long term, along with fundamental requirements for achieving them. Prioritised areas for equal opportunities management are set in the central operational plan.
The University’s Guidelines for Dealing with Cases of Harassment under the Discrimination Act are a key document in terms of both preventive and reactive equal opportunities management.
The Work Environment and Equal Opportunities policy for Uppsala University, which is targeted at both employees and students, is the University’s first joint policy for systematic work environment and equal opportunities management.
Appropriation directions
The task set by the government concerning gender equality and equal opportunities is stated in the annual appropriation directions for universities and higher education institutions [3] and in the appropriation directions for Uppsala University. [4]
Recruitment targets for Uppsala University
Professors
For the period 2021–2023, the University’s target is for 51 percent of newly recruited professors to be women. [5]
The proportion of newly recruited female professors in 2021 was 48 percent.[6]
Assistant senior lecturers
The University’s target for 2021–2024 is for three percent of all research and teaching staff (FTEs) to be assistant senior lecturers. [6]
In 2021 four percent of teachers – 84 teachers out of a total of 2,035 – were assistant senior lecturers. Of those 84 teachers, 35 percent were women. [7]
Responsibilities
The University Board and the Vice-Chancellor have ultimate responsibility for a systematic work to promote and ensure gender equality and equal opportunities at Uppsala University. They are responsible for clarifying the focus, targets and distribution of responsibilities of those actions. The chairs of the domain/faculty boards, the heads of department and all other leadership and management personnel at the University have local operational responsibility.
To ensure that gender equality and equal opportunities management permeates the entire University, managers at all levels need to integrate and promote the activities for which they have managerial responsibility, ensure that the gender mainstreaming plan is distributed to all relevant parts of the University, continuously follow up on the activities and request results.
Systematic equal opportunities management
Uppsala University pursues active measures to prevent and counter the exposure of employees and students to discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals in line with the Discrimination Act.
Active measures shall be implemented systematically over four steps and ten areas and encompass the seven grounds of discrimination: 1) investigate risks and obstacles, 2) analyse the causes of any risks and obstacles, 3) remedy identified risks and obstacles and 4) follow up and evaluate whether implemented measures have eliminated the occurrence of and/or reduced the extent of the risks and obstacles. The evaluation forms the basis of future planning. The previous legal requirement for action plans is replaced by documentation of how equal opportunities management is systematically planned, implemented and evaluated.
Systematic equal opportunities management shall be implemented across ten areas (see below). [7]
Working life | Educational activities |
|
|
Disciplinary domain/faculty boards, library management and University
Administration management
The disciplinary domain/faculty boards, library management and University Administration management are responsible for implementing systematic equal opportunities management in line with steps 1-4 above, and for documenting activities in steps 1-4.
The working groups for equal opportunities serves as a support function for the disciplinary domain/faculty boards, library management and University Administration when implementing systematic equal opportunities management.
Departments and Divisions
The head of department is responsible for the department’s prevention and implementation of systematic equal opportunities management: steps 1–3, step 4 in which implemented measures are followed up and evaluated, and all steps are documented.
The department’s equal opportunities officer supports the head of department and department board in implementing systematic equal opportunities management.
The head of division is responsible for the division’s preventive work and implementation of systematic equal opportunities management: steps 1–3, step 4 in which implemented measures are followed up and evaluated, and all steps are documented.
The division’s equal opportunities officer supports the head of division and management group in implementing systematic equal opportunities management.
Resources and support for implementing gender equality
The work is conducted and coordinated at all levels in the University, and through various bodies in the disciplinary domains, the University Library and the University Administration. Uppsala University has the following resources and support for implementation.
Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Equal Opportunities
The Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor advises the Vice-Chancellor on equal opportunities issues. The Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor has 25 per cent of a full-time position dedicated to this role.
Advisory Board for Equal Opportunities
The University-wide Advisory Board for Equal Opportunities is headed by the Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Equal Opportunities. The advisory board acts on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor. The members of the advisory board represent the three disciplinary domains, the University Library, the University Administration, the trade union organisations and the student body. The advisory board arranges equal opportunities days, announces calls for equal opportunities funding and submits proposals to the Vice-Chancellor concerning distribution of such funding.
Gender Mainstreaming Reference Group
The reference group is chaired by the Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Equal Opportunities. The reference group has the following remit: to provide a perspective on gender mainstreaming undertakings at both University-wide and local level; to contribute to University-wide experience exchanges; and to promote local engagement in gender mainstreaming. [8]
Equal opportunities representatives and working groups
Departments with more than 25 employees select an equal opportunities representative and appoint a working group for equal opportunities containing staff and student representatives.
Several departments have integrated equal opportunities management into their systematic work environment management and have a work environment and equal opportunities working group.
Working group for equal opportunities/equivalent
The Disciplinary Domains of Medicine and Pharmacy and Science and Technology as well as the six faculties in the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences have equal opportunities groups or equivalent groups.
The University Library has a work environment and equal opportunities working group. The members of the University Administration’s equal opportunities group are equal opportunities representatives from divisions with more than 25 employees.
Equal Opportunities Consultation Group
To create a forum for all equal opportunities working groups at disciplinary domain and faculty level, a consultation group was established in 2004. The aim is to facilitate information sharing and exchange of experience.
University Administration
The University Administration supports the University’s systematic equal opportunities management in various ways.
The Buildings Division is responsible for accessibility regarding the physical environment; the Communications Division for accessibility relating to information and communications; and the University IT Services for IT-related accessibility.
The Communications Division is also tasked with supporting the core activities in integrating an equal opportunities perspective into the University’s text and image production, including in connection with the marketing of the University and its courses and programmes. Student Recruitment works with widening participation of students at national level.
UU Innovation (UUI) is tasked with providing support, advice and training for researchers and students on issues concerning development of ideas and innovation at an early stage. UUI works to foster an even distribution of legal sex among those receiving support.
The Human Resources Division has a human resources strategist and two equal opportunities specialists.
The Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division has coordinators who engage in targeted pedagogical support for students and who coordinate mentoring activities for those students.
The Unit for Academic Teaching and Learning at the Division for Quality Enhancement is tasked with supporting inclusive teaching. In the basic course in teaching and learning in higher education, a half day is devoted to norm-critical teaching and learning. Other courses, such as “Supervision of doctoral students” and “Active students in group projects”, include components on inclusive teaching.
The Student Services Unit at the Office for Science and Technology offer support and service to all students taking courses at the Faculty of Science and Technology. The Unit is responsible for coordinating the range of services at the various campus areas, the faculty’s timetabling, issues concerning international students, career coaching and website. The Unit is also responsible for the faculty’s activities promoting equal treatment of students. Programme administration and programme study guidance for the engineering programmes fall within the remit of student services. [9]
The student unions’ equal opportunities management
The approximately 50,000 students who study at Uppsala University are represented by six different student unions, depending on their area of study. The unions are the Uppsala Student Union, Uppsala Union of Engineering and Science Students,
Pharmaceutical Student Association, Law Students’ Association in Uppsala, Uppsala Business & Economics Students Association and Rindi, Gotland’s Student Union. All of the student unions form part of the collaborative body known as Uppsala University Student Unions (UUFS).
UUFS collectively takes care of students’ interests and pursues issues centrally. They also jointly fund two student and doctoral student representatives. The student and doctoral student representatives exist to help students who feel wrongly treated by the University in various educational contexts, including in terms of equal opportunities.
The student unions’ internal organisation varies, but all of them have the same core activity – student liaison services. Student liaison services also to a large extent encompass equal opportunities management, and below is an outline of how each union manages such issues.
Uppsala Student Union
The Uppsala Student Union has two employed faculty coordinators who partly coordinate student representatives, and partly work on student liaison services and programme quality assurance. Uppsala Student Union’s faculty coordinators thereby also work on equal opportunities issues, both through student liaison activities and by training all student representatives.
Uppsala Union of Engineering and Science Students
Uppsala Union of Engineering and Science Students has four full-time paid students who work on student liaison services, of whom three work on educational issues and one on student welfare issues. The main areas of their work are student representation, case management and advocacy.
Pharmaceutical Student Association
The Pharmaceutical Student Association has four active students who work on student liaison, of whom two undertake the work with full-time remuneration. Their work is divided into one role for central student liaison services, two roles for local student liaison services and one role for student welfare issues relating to the students' study environment and conditions.
Law Students’ Association in Uppsala
The Law Students’ Association in Uppsala has two full-time paid students who provide student liaison services. One of the roles has ultimate responsibility for case management, while the other has ultimate responsibility for student liaison services. In addition to these, the unions have a student council with nine members who work on advocacy, student liaison services and as safety representatives for each semester.
Uppsala Business & Economics Students Association
Uppsala Business & Economics Students Association has three students whose primary task is student liaison services, of whom one is remunerated full-time. In addition to these three, the union has two further students who work part-time on student liaison services combined with other commitments at the union.
Gotland’s Student Union Rindi
The student union Rindi at Campus Gotland in Visby has two full-time paid students whose work involves student advocacy and liaison services. One of the roles has ultimate responsibility for study liaison services, equal opportunities and work environment, while the other is responsible for study policy, collaboration and advocacy both in relation to and in conjunction with the region and the University. Rindi also has eight subject-area sections that provide student liaison services in each of their respective areas.
Doctoral Board
The Doctoral Board (https://uudoctoralboard.se/) forms part of UUFS and works preventively on doctoral students’ work environment and equal opportunities issues.
Funds for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities initiatives
Special funding for gender mainstreaming
Uppsala University has had instructions from the government to gender mainstream its activities since 2016. To encourage and stimulate gender mainstreaming at decentralised levels, a total of SEK 900,000 was announced in 2018–2020, which faculties, departments, divisions or equivalent functions could apply for. SEK 900,000 in special funding is allocated for the continued work during 2022–2024. An annual sum of SEK 300,000 will be made available, which can be applied for by the University’s employees and students. SEK 100,000 of special funding was distributed in 2022 for gender mainstreaming activities.
Equal opportunities funding
Each year, funding is announced for which employees, students and other organisations or associations at Uppsala University can apply. A total of SEK 430,000 is available, with a maximum of SEK 150,000 allowed for any individual application.
Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy
Each year, the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy issues a call of a total of SEK 80,000 for equal opportunities projects. Employees, students, committees, and departments or parts of departments can apply for funding.
Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology
The Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology issues a call of equal opportunities funding for which employees and students at the faculty can apply. A total of SEK 400,000 is available each year and each individual application has to be for a minimum of SEK 50,000 and a maximum of SEK 150,000.
Apart from this call, several departments in the disciplinary domain contribute funding to their equal opportunities groups for use in their activities.
Monitoring and evaluation of gender equality activities
Activities at the University are subject to annual internal follow-up, for example, in connection with the annual report and external reviews and evaluations. Reports concerning the University’s activities are published on the following webpage: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/vart-uu/verksamhetsutveckling/univovergripanderapporter. The reports are intended to provide a basis for discussion and future decisions about activities at the University.
External evaluation
SPEAR
Uppsala University is one of eleven partners in the EU project Supporting and
Implementing Plans for Gender Equality (SPEAR). It started in 2019 and ends in April 2023 and is coordinated by the University of Southern Denmark.. The University has undertaken to implement and further develop its own gender equality and equal opportunities actions, and to serve as process support and equal opportunities specialist in the process of implementing gender equality plans. The SPEAR project gives Uppsala University an opportunity to continuously evaluate and expand its work on gender mainstreaming.
Equality Ombudsman
The Equality Ombudsman is a Swedish state administrative agency under the Ministry of Employment. Its responsibilities include supervising compliance with the Discrimination Act, and it is tasked with promoting equal rights and opportunities and countering discrimination. Part of the Ombudsman’s supervisory task involves reviewing whether employers and educational providers are in compliance with the Discrimination Act's requirements governing active measures to counter discrimination and promote equal rights and opportunities irrespective of the seven grounds for discrimination.
The Ombudsman carried out a review in 2019 to investigate whether higher education institutions are complying with the Discrimination Act’s requirements governing active measures within their educational activities.
Swedish Higher Education Authority
The Swedish Higher Education Authority is a public authority that reviews the quality of higher education and higher education institutions’ quality assurance systems for higher education and research. It monitors and analyses the developments and trends within Swedish higher education and is responsible for all official statistics within that area. It conducts regular legal audits of all higher education institutions. This means that it reviews compliance with all laws and regulations. Individuals can submit a report to the Authority if they feel a higher education institution has broken any law.
For example, the Authority has evaluated Uppsala University’s initiatives for broader recruitment to Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral programmes, reviewed how well the University’s quality system and quality initiatives are helping to ensure and develop the quality of education at all levels, including with regard to equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming, and reviewed career paths and career progression systems.[10]
Internal follow-up and evaluation
Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2017–2019
To secure the impact of work on gender equality, an evaluation of the Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2017–2019 has been carried out. The follow-up laid the foundation for the new Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2020–2022 and was partly based on an external evaluation conducted in 2019 within the framework of the EU SPEAR project.
GLIS - general management information system
GLIS is Uppsala University’s system for management information and decision support. It enables monitoring of the University’s activities via data from the University’s source systems in the areas of education, publications, staff, financial management, and buildings and facilities.
All members of staff at Uppsala University have access to the open part of GLIS. If members of staff want more detailed data, they can use the analysis tools ProDriver/NetDriver to produce their own reports.
Gender equality indicators
Uppsala University’s web-based gender equality indicators form part of GLIS (see above). They show disaggregation by legal sex, man or woman, and are quantitative measures of important aspects of gender equality that indicate whether there is an unequal representation of men and women. This is a self-evaluation instrument and a support in the systematic equal opportunities work.
Diversity statistics
The University regularly produces diversity reports for monitoring employees and students disaggregated by legal sex and proportion from a Swedish or foreign background. The reports are based on anonymised data from Statistics Sweden and underpin work on equal opportunities, gender mainstreaming, internationalisation and widening recruitment and participation. Link to diversity reports: https://mp.uu.se/en/web/info/vart-uu/mal-och-strategier/lika-villkor/statistik/diversity.
Research evaluations of Quality and Renewal
In 2011 and 2017, Uppsala University undertook University-wide research evaluations with external review.[10] The next evaluation has started with a preliminary study.[11]
Programme reviews
The University carries out systematic follow-ups and reviews of study programmes every six years. One area evaluated is the integration of a gender equality dimension in the programmes. Link to more information: https://mp.uu.se/web/info/undervisa/kvalitet-och-utvardering/utbildningsutv.
Annual report
Uppsala University delivers an annual report and budget submission to the government each year, following approval by the University Board. The annual report presents and comments on the results of the University’s activities. The budget submission includes an assessment of financial developments and strategic challenges for the University over the next three years.[12]
The annual report outlines in brief the University’s gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities initiatives, and shows the quantitative breakdown of women and men in the visiting professor programme, in educational activities and the staff structure, among other areas. In accordance with separate appropriation directions for innovation centres, UUI reports the breakdown of women and men to the government.
Training and awareness-raising activities relating to gender equality
The University works continuously on mainstreaming gender equality and equal opportunities in continuing professional development for staff, for example in the programme for heads of department and other managers, and training in talent attraction, retention and recruitment. In addition, courses with a special focus on gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities are offered regularly and when necessary.
Courses in response to circumstances arising
Education and training is conducted when it comes to light that the department/division/equivalent for one reason or another needs to educate staff and students about the University’s equal opportunities activities and/or its work on integrating the gender equality perspective in its activities, and other more specific equal opportunities areas. For example, “How we prevent discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals in the workplace,” “Norm-critical and inclusive attitudes in education,” “How to get started with equal opportunities,” “What are domination techniques and how can they be counteracted?”
Gender mainstreaming activities at the Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology
Gender mainstreaming activities are conducted at the Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology with the support of the coordinator for gender mainstreaming. The disciplinary domain bears 40 per cent of the Human Resources Division’s costs for the coordinator’s full-time employment. Among other things, the coordinator has developed a training course on bias in assessment and advisory committee meetings and in connection with recruitment.
Other training provided by the University Library and the University Administration
Information about internal training at the University Library and in the University Administration is published on the University’s website. Some courses include elements of equal opportunities and gender equality perspectives, while others are exclusively about equal opportunities or specific areas such as diversity, accessibility, LGBTQI+ issues and the work environment.
Link to main webpage on Continuing professional development: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/anstallning/kompetensutveckling
The University Library
The library offers free courses and individual guidance online for students, researchers, employees at Uppsala University and employees of Region Uppsala. Link to home page: https://www.ub.uu.se/kurser-och-handledning/
Education and training for students and student-related functions
The coordinators for equal opportunities and targeted pedagogical support at the Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division offers students in elected positions in the students’ unions, student nations (clubs) and student associations various forms of education and training in the equal opportunities area. The coordinators also train staff in educational roles, such as study counsellors and study administrators.
The Student Health Service offers courses to students at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala and Johannelund School of Theology. Link to Student Health Services courses and workshops: https://www2.uu.se/student/stod-och-service/studenthalsan/forelasningar-och-grupper.
Faculty of Science and Technology student services
When necessary and at the start of courses, students are offered training on equal opportunities.
University information on equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming
Information about the University’s work on equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming is communicated in various ways.
Information on the website
Work environment and equal opportunities
Link: https://mp.uu.se/web/info/anstallning/stod-arbetsmiljo
Equal opportunities
Link: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/vart-uu/mal-och-strategier/lika-villkor.
The University Library
Information about the library’s equal opportunities activities is available to employees.
Disciplinary domain websites/equivalent
Some faculties post their information so that only those concerned have access to it. Some faculties make their activities in this area visible on their webpages.
Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Arts: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/vart-uu/organisation-ochstyrning/ledning-struktur/humsam/histfil-fakultet/jamstalldhet
Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy
https://www.medfarm.uu.se/vetenskapsomradet/namnder-och-kommitteer/kommittenfor-lika-villkor/
Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology https://www.teknat.uu.se/om-oss/lika-villkor/
Other channels for raising awareness
Distribution to internal and external networks, targeted mailings to specific target groups such as heads of department/other managers, local HR staff, equal opportunities representatives, the Doctoral Board and the students’ unions.
Various meetings are arranged for more in-depth information, such as information meetings, network meetings, focus group meetings, seminars, workshops, equal opportunities days and conferences.
Footnotes
[1] Link to the Research Handbook: Sex and gender dimensions – Uppsala University
[2] Legal sex, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, functional diversity, sexual orientation and age.
[3] https://www.esv.se/statsliggaren/regleringsbrev/?rbid=22434
[4] https://www.esv.se/statsliggaren/regleringsbrev/?rbid=22196
[5] Appropriation directions for the 2022 fiscal year for Uppsala University.
[6] Uppsala University’s annual report 2021, UFV 2021/1297.
[7] Link to the Staff Portal: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/anstallning/stod-arbetsmiljo/arbetsmiljo-ao/aktiva-atgarder
[8] Vice-Chancellor’s decision, Gender Mainstreaming Reference Group, UFV 2020/85.
[9] Link to the Unit’s website: https://teknat.uu.se/utbildning/student/stod-och-service/studentservice-angstrom#0
[10] Tematisk utvärdering av breddad rekrytering - inbjudan till upptaktsmöte samt inbjudan att nominera till bedömargrupp, UFV 2020/264 (Thematic evaluation of broader recruitment - invitation to a kick-off meeting and invitation to nominate to the assessment panel). Granskning av kvalitetssäkringsarbetet vid Uppsala universitet, UFV 2019/2057 (Review of quality assurance initiatives at Uppsala University). Enkät om karriärvägar och meriteringssystem i högskolan, UFV 2021/2495 (Survey of career paths and career progression systems within higher education).
[11] Link to Staff Portal: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/forska/utvarderingar
[12] Q&R24 preliminary study. UFV 2021/524
[13] Link to previous annual reports: https://mp.uu.se/sv/web/info/vart-uu/organisation-och-styrning/ledningstruktur/verksamhetsplaner/uppfoljning