NEWS Sustainability is about more than environmental issues like recycling and clean water. During the course Transition towards a sustainable society, some of the master’s students in environmental science focused on how gender equality can make Umeå university more sustainable.
Soft quotas and part time professorships could be one way for the university to become more gender equal, says Griet Mortier from Belgium. To the right Peter Magnusson, one of the other students in her project group.
ImageAnna-Lena Lindskog”I think there is still a lot of indirect discrimination in the academic world” says Griet Mortier, student in the Master’s programme in Environmental science with focus on sustainable development. ”For example, if you want to hire a professor international experience is regarded as important. Men are more likely to have that, but it doesn’t mean they are more competent than a woman who hasn’t gone abroad because of her family. So these are things you can either take away from the hiring procedure or don’t value so high.”
Manon Legoff studies environmental engineering in France and first came to Umeå university as an Erasmus exchange student. She liked her studies here and decided to stay another year to complete a master’s.
In the first part of Transitition towards a sustainable society the student’s worked on the UN’s sustainability goals. Manon felt she wanted to go deeper into equality issues, goal nr 5 among the 17 UN goals.
If you ask someone about sustainability they will first think of ecology and biodiversity, but societal and cultural aspects are just as important
Lecturer Åsa Berglund asking questions to the group presenting gender equality issues. To the right Agnes Mattsson and Manon Legoff.
ImageAnna-Lena Lindskog”I have been studying environmental issues for three years, so for once I wanted to work on societal issues” she says. ”If you ask someone about sustainability they will first think of ecology and biodiversity, but societal and cultural aspects are just as important.”
The students interviewed stakeholders in the university to gain knowledge about gender distribution among students and staff and what is being done to reach a more gender equal university. They learned that the student population in general is 50/50 men and women, but the gender gap widens in traditionally male subjects and when you look at higher positions like professorships.
”That was an eye opener for me, those we interviewed also said it’s going to get worse since most of the female professors are a bit older and nearer retirement and there are not enough young women to follow” says Griet Mortier.
Discussions during the poster presentation in the course Transition towards a sustainable society. In the course the students have worked on different aspects for a more sustainable university campus.
ImageAnna-Lena LindskogWhen you read policy’s and university documents on gender it looks as if most is already done, but the reality is that a lot of effort still is needed before the university can call itself gender equal, Griet and Manon notes.
Together with their study mates Agnes Mattsson and Peter Magnusson they have listed actions they think the university needs to take on gender issues. Most important is that management on all levels need to be actively involved in gender equality issues, they think.
For students, especially in science, technology and mathematics, it is important to make successful female scientists known, so that the students have role models. And one step towards more women in higher positions, could be to offer more part time professorships, they suggest. That could make it easier for women in their 30’s to move forward in their careers.
”Of course you must make sure that women are not pushed into part time positions for the rest of their lives, but it can be a start, especially in areas where women are underrepresented” says Griet Mortier.
The group also looked at sexual harassment and bullying and the information for victims on the university’s website. There is more to be done, they think.
”The procedure could be improved” says Griet Mortier. ”Its says on the website victims should report to their manager and teacher, but it could be difficult to talk to someone in the same department.”
Instead the university could appoint someone outside the organisation, as a trusted councellor or contact person to take the matter further. That could help people feel more safe, the students think.
They also suggest more education for staff and students, both men and women, for example in civil courage.
”So that people learn to speak out, help or intervene when they see something happening” says Griet Mortier. ”Communication, especially for international staff and students, is also important, because many of them don’t have a network of people and are extra vulnerable, so it’s important everything is clear and provided in English.”
The students presented their projects on how the university campus can be more sustainable in a poster session in the KBC Building. Other projects suggested green walls with climbing plants, both indoors and outdoors, another more uniform signage about recycling and waste management and a third group worked on how to raise awareness of sustainability among students.
”Sustainability often involves communication as a whole” Manon Legoff concludes.