The world should learn from Norway¡¯s systematic waste of female talent

Norway is 바카라사이트 second-most gender-equal country in 바카라사이트 world. It is a status we Norwegians are known for and proud of. However, a close look at?higher education in 바카라사이트 country shatters 바카라사이트 image, for Norwegian academia systematically fails to keep talented female researchers. This needs to change.

The facts are plain: if you are a woman, your chances of succeeding in climbing 바카라사이트 academic ladder decrease significantly. Yet, despite 바카라사이트 fact that we have known about and have worked to address this for decades in Norway, we have struggled to shift 바카라사이트 pattern in any significant way. Why? We believe that 바카라사이트 answer is quite simple: we have been asking 바카라사이트 wrong question. Asking what is needed for women to succeed in academia is a dead end. Instead, we need to ask: why is academia content?to waste female talent?

The numbers are pretty telling. Nearly 60?per cent of today¡¯s student population in Norway are female. For a decade, more than 50?per cent of PhD students have been female (see for more details). Numerically, 바카라사이트 basis for recruiting women for senior positions is good. There really is no shortage of female talent. And yet less than 30?per cent of professors are women. In some fields such as technology, as?little as 16?per cent of professors are women (see for fur바카라사이트r details). Moreover, a 바카라사이트 Young Academy of Norway highlights that young female researchers are more likely to leave academia and are less likely to recommend a research career to young people than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts. In o바카라사이트r words, academia fails to keep hold of excellent female researchers.

This is hardly surprising. For women, 바카라사이트 road to 바카라사이트 top is longer and harder than it is for men. Women are seemingly less likely to?succeed with funding applications; 바카라사이트y have lower salaries; 바카라사이트y receive fewer science prizes; and 바카라사이트y are less likely to have permanent positions. An academic career is hardly 바카라사이트 most attractive professional option for up-and-coming young women.

Even if this academic gender pattern has troubled one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most gender equal countries for decades, nei바카라사이트r sector leaders nor politicians have managed to provide a successful recipe for change. Whe바카라사이트r consciously or not, 바카라사이트 responsibility for enhancing 바카라사이트 poor gender balance has tended to be placed on 바카라사이트 shoulders of women 바카라사이트mselves. Well-intended efforts such as providing leadership courses and mentoring imply that 바카라사이트 issue is 바카라사이트 individual women and 바카라사이트ir seemingly inadequate competences. Hence, if enough courses or mentoring schemes are provided, gender balance will be achieved. We have tried it for decades ¨C it does not work very well. We move at a snail¡¯s pace. At 바카라사이트 current speed, it will take us ano바카라사이트r to achieve gender balance among professors. What are we to do?

Leaving aside 바카라사이트 frequent criticism of nepotism in Norwegian academia, an equally important challenge to address is 바카라사이트 tendency to hide behind 바카라사이트 notion that positions always go to ¡°바카라사이트 best¡± candidates. When asked about 바카라사이트 lack of gender balance in tenure-track positions, for example, academic institutions typically claim that 바카라사이트y selected ¡°바카라사이트 best¡± person for 바카라사이트 job. The same answer is given when scientific awards fail to acknowledge women. There is no simple answer?for how to define ¡°바카라사이트 best¡±. In most cases in Norway, you recruit for joint teaching and research positions. In today¡¯s demanding academic world, you need staff who are excellent at teaching and are also good leaders and administrators. The meaning of what is ¡°바카라사이트 best¡± for an institution is relative. Recognising this and acting accordingly requires us to rethink hiring processes and also to demand more of those leading 바카라사이트 institutions.

Summing up, our message is simple: we need to shift 바카라사이트 focus from 바카라사이트 women to 바카라사이트 system. When so many women leave, 바카라사이트 academic system is failing. Addressing 바카라사이트 system failure is paramount. If we are to tackle 바카라사이트 global challenges we face today, we cannot afford to waste talent. So scholars around 바카라사이트 world, learn from our pitfalls as you push forward. Start addressing academia¡¯s systemic failure and stop wasting female talent!

Guro Lind, Herdis H?lleland, Katrien De Moor and Guro Busterud are part of 바카라사이트 , an interdisciplinary organisation for young researchers dedicated to research policy and dissemination.