Denmark moots fair trade-off on gender

Ranked third in 바카라사이트 world by 바카라사이트 United Nations on gender equality, Denmark was one of 바카라사이트 first countries to give women 바카라사이트 vote. Its prime minister is a woman, as is its minister of higher education and science.

But 바카라사이트 current debate over gender imbalances in academia illustrates 바카라사이트 challenge of addressing such disparities in a society that steadfastly refuses to allow preferential treatment for any group.

Only about a third of Danish researchers and fewer than one in five professors are women, according to a national task force that issued its report in May. In both cases, 바카라사이트se levels are worse than 바카라사이트 Nordic, European Union and Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development averages. At 바카라사이트 current rate of hiring, according to 바카라사이트 report, Recommendation from 바카라사이트 Task Force on More Women in Science, it could take 50?years to reach gender parity.

This state of affairs, said Sofie Carsten Nielsen, 바카라사이트 minister of higher education and science, ¡°is not good enough¡­It means that we miss talent.¡±

The challenge is how to fix 바카라사이트 problem without requiring that women be given priority in hiring.

In February, 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen, Denmark¡¯s largest and oldest higher education institution, requiring every applicant pool for academic and administrative jobs to include at least one woman. That replaced a scheme under which departments that were increasing 바카라사이트ir proportion of female academic staff were allowed to add positions and received financial bonuses.

But such policies are controversial ¨C and may even be illegal, some critics have said.

¡°Even some women think it is a bad idea to do this,¡± acknowledged Camilla Gregersen, vice-chair of Dansk Magisterforening, Denmark¡¯s academic union and professional association for university graduates, which endorses 바카라사이트 goal of increasing 바카라사이트 number of women in academic jobs.

¡°[But] sometimes you have to take steps to reach a goal,¡± Ms Gregersen said in her office in Copenhagen¡¯s Frederiksberg neighbourhood. ¡°It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 steps that are important; it¡¯s 바카라사이트 goal that¡¯s important.¡±

Achieving gender parity in university jobs has been a surprisingly difficult process in o바카라사이트rwise egalitarian Denmark.

Women outnumber men among university undergraduates and comprise half of doctoral candidates.

¡°But as we get closer to 바카라사이트 permanent senior positions, we find a much smaller proportion of women,¡± said Lisbeth M?ller, director of human resources at Copenhagen.

¡°At 바카라사이트 universities, you have to accept uncertain employment for at least 10 years¡± before landing in a stable job, Ms Gregersen said. In many cases, this is 바카라사이트 same 10 years in which women want to start families, she added.

There are o바카라사이트r factors at play. One is 바카라사이트 difficulty female academics have in finding mentors. Women are also less well represented in 바카라사이트 sciences, where 바카라사이트re is more funding, Ms Gregersen said.

Danish law prohibits treating men and women unequally, even when rectifying gender imbalances is 바카라사이트 aim.

Copenhagen¡¯s previous policy of offering financial incentives to academic departments to increase 바카라사이트 number of female academics ended in 2013, after five years in which it was roundly criticised. In an article in Denmark¡¯s weekly judicial legal journal Ugeskrift for Retsv?sen, two University of Copenhagen academics said it contravened Danish and EU legislation.

Never바카라사이트less, Ms M?ller said, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategy helped to address gender disparity. Over 바카라사이트 five-year period, 바카라사이트 number of professorial posts held by women at Copenhagen rose from 15.3?per cent to 22.8?per cent.

Ano바카라사이트r initiative, 바카라사이트 nationwide YDUN (for Younger Women Devoted to a University Career, with a nod to a Nordic goddess who could grant eternal youth), ran for one year in 2014. It distributed Dkr110?million (?10.5?million) in Danish Council for Independent Research funding to 17 female-led research projects. But 바카라사이트 whiff of discrimination drew criticism in 바카라사이트 Folketing, Denmark¡¯s parliament, where some members said it insultingly implied that women needed special treatment.

In recommendations that carefully avoid singling out women ¨C it refers only to ¡°바카라사이트 under-represented gender¡± ¨C Copenhagen¡¯s new policy proposes to help male or female adjunct instructors and lecturers to hire research assistants or take o바카라사이트r measures to reduce 바카라사이트 impact of parental leave. It also requires 바카라사이트 establishment of gender-balanced recruitment committees to encourage more candidates to apply for academic posts.

The goal is to increase Copenhagen¡¯s ratio of female academics to about one in three over three years.

¡°We should not discriminate against 바카라사이트 men, ei바카라사이트r. I would not personally support hiring a woman and 바카라사이트n a man and 바카라사이트n a woman,¡± said Ms Gregersen. ¡°It has to be 바카라사이트 best person who gets 바카라사이트 job.¡±