HOW CAN HIGHER EDUCATION PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION?
Drake, Merja; Juutilainen, Päivi-Katriina; Vanhanen-Nuutinen, Liisa; Aura, Pirjo (2022)
Drake, Merja
Juutilainen, Päivi-Katriina
Vanhanen-Nuutinen, Liisa
Aura, Pirjo
IATED, International Association of Technology, Education and Development
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2022113068297
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2022113068297
Tiivistelmä
Over the last decade, the EU has made slow progress towards gender equality. European Institute for Gender Equality EIGE’s 2021 Index shows that it will take nearly three generations to achieve gender equality at the current pace. COVID-19 could slow down progress even further.
Gender equality varies considerably by member state. For example, the Finnish labour market is among the most gender segregated in the EU. Women favour professions in education and care, whereas men prefer technology and logistics. Within different fields, the segregation continues and shows as differences in jobs, wages and career paths.
Higher education (HE) institutes play an important role in promoting gender equality and nonharassment because they educate the professionals and managers of the future. That is why every HE organisation should have a detailed, efficient and well-structured gender equality and non-harassment plan. However, only about ten per cent of HE staff members in Finland know that an educational institution must have an equality plan.
Moreover, the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy sets out an ambitious framework for the next five years, which is formally endorsed by the European Commission, on how to advance gender equality in Europe
and beyond. Horizon Europe calls for proposals from public bodies, research organisations and HE institutions from EU member states and associated countries. To promote gender equality, these applying organisations must have a GEP or equivalent strategy in place to be eligible for funding.
In this paper, we will describe how to ideate, plan and integrate a plan into a HE’s everyday educational work in cooperation with the management, staff members and students.
Gender equality varies considerably by member state. For example, the Finnish labour market is among the most gender segregated in the EU. Women favour professions in education and care, whereas men prefer technology and logistics. Within different fields, the segregation continues and shows as differences in jobs, wages and career paths.
Higher education (HE) institutes play an important role in promoting gender equality and nonharassment because they educate the professionals and managers of the future. That is why every HE organisation should have a detailed, efficient and well-structured gender equality and non-harassment plan. However, only about ten per cent of HE staff members in Finland know that an educational institution must have an equality plan.
Moreover, the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy sets out an ambitious framework for the next five years, which is formally endorsed by the European Commission, on how to advance gender equality in Europe
and beyond. Horizon Europe calls for proposals from public bodies, research organisations and HE institutions from EU member states and associated countries. To promote gender equality, these applying organisations must have a GEP or equivalent strategy in place to be eligible for funding.
In this paper, we will describe how to ideate, plan and integrate a plan into a HE’s everyday educational work in cooperation with the management, staff members and students.