Gender mainstreaming involves integrating a gender equality dimension into all decision-making, at all levels and at all stages of the decision-making process. This entails systematically highlighting and analysing the consequences of proposals for both women and men.

The idea behind the Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2023–2025 is to meet the European Commission’s requirements for gender mainstreaming plans. Without a plan that fulfils the Commission’s requirements, funds cannot be granted within the Horizon Europe research programme. However, the plan should also manage the government’s requirements for ongoing gender mainstreaming initiatives.

The Gender Mainstreaming Plan for 2023–2025 contains two process objectives with various measures:

  • Measures to counter bias in recruitment and assessment processes should be long-term and knowledge-based.
  • Preventive measures against harassment and sexual harassment should be long-term and knowledge-based.

Recruitment and assessment processes

It is noted in the plan that various types of bias linked to sex and other grounds of discrimination can influence the process of employing staff in various ways. Methods of assessment can influence groups of applicants in various ways, for example.

There are four measures in the plan to be implemented between 2023 and 2025, and faculty boards are responsible for their implementation. Two of the measures are to:

  • 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 sex, for external grants.

Preventive measures against harassment

The plan describes how the academic structure and culture is a breeding ground for sexual harassment due to 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 and an imbalance between formal and informal power.

The Human Resources Division is responsible for implementation. Two of the measures are to:

  • 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.
  • Investigate the opportunity to offer ‘bystander training’. Bystander training focuses on educating potential witnesses to harassment and sexual harassment so that they recognise and know what to do to help victims.