The KIF Committee:

Eight recommendations for lasting change after #MeToo

Minister of Children and Equality Linda Hofstad Helleland recently held an input meeting on the #MeToo movement. The KIF Committee has eight recommendations for the minister about the work to prevent sexual harassment.

Curt Rice wants just as many female as male Nobel candidates

We are a long way from closing the gender gap among Nobel Laureates. Curt Rice, Rector of the Oslo Metropolitan University and Chair of the KIF Committee, explained his solution for this to the Nobel Foundation in Sweden last week.

Better research thanks to more gender equal staff

A new article shows that women more often apply gender perspectives in their research. A diverse research group leads to better and more accurate knowledge about the world, according to Mathias Wullum Nielsen.

#MeToo can’t change academia by itself

The #MeToo movement is standing up to sexual harassment, also in academia and the research sector. “The movement reveals just the tip of several icebergs,” says Mons Bendixen, a Norwegian researcher.

Most read in 2017

Are you interested in male gender quotas, diversity management or why the Danes are at the bottom in gender equality in the Nordic region? Check out our top ten most read news articles.

Sociology: a women's subject with low-status

According to the science hierarchy, sociology has low status whereas mathematics has high status. Both this hierarchy and the peer-review process have characteristics that structurally downgrade women’s position in academia.

Winner in Brussels

A Norwegian gender equality committee won the poster competition at a large EU conference held recently in Brussels. The winning poster was “Mission: Gender Balance”.

New tool for gender equality

Uppsala University in Sweden is proud of its new tool that reveals gender balance at the touch of a keyboard. Gudrun Schyman of the Feminist Initiative is positive towards the tool, as are Ministers Tora Aasland and Audun Lysbakken. Norwegian educational institutions, however, seem sceptical.

Uncertain future for the Research Council’s gender initiative

The Norwegian Government’s national budget for 2012 does not allocate any funding to the Research Council of Norway’s initiative on Gender Balance in Senior Positions and Research Management (BALANSE). Executive Director Anders Hanneborg confirms that the initiative is in danger of being discontinued.

More money for networks

Norwegian researcher networks in fields with an uneven gender balance can once again apply for financial support from the Committee for Gender Balance in Research (KIF). The application deadline is November 1st.

Inharmonic gender balance at the Academy of Music

In 2007, the rector of the Norwegian Academy of Music said the institution would implement measures to improve the uneven gender balance among academic employees. He cited figures showing that only three professors were women while 41 were men. Now as 2011 draws to a close, only seven professors are women and 53 are men. Minister Tora Aasland is not pleased.

“Make time for research!”

It pays to be keenly aware of how you use your time. This is according to Siv Ellen Kraft, a recently appointed professor at the University of Tromsø.

Think long term

Gender equality activities are crucial for achieving the ambitious plans to enhance quality and expertise at Bergen University College. Last year the institution received the Gender Equality Award presented by the Ministry of Education and Research, and they are encouraging others to apply for the award this year.

New students make traditional choices

A record number of women want to study technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). More men are applying for pre-school teacher training. But most students still make traditional choices.