Gender Equality Action Plan
Main content
The work on equality undertaken at the University of Bergen (UiB) is designed to promote equality and combat discrimination among the University’s employees and students, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion and beliefs, functional abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity and age. Although different types of discrimination have some common characteristics, there are many situations where it can be appropriate to separate out gender equality as a priority area. Even though much has been achieved, the UiB still faces many equality challenges. One key challenge concerns the lack of gender balance – in top scientific positions, among administrative personnel and among students engaged in professional studies. The UiB still has only a few female professors and women are under-represented in academic management positions and in strategic priority areas. The gender balance is also uneven in technical and administrative positions. Female students are now in the majority on most study programmes. Male students are under-represented in many professional studies, particularly medicine, psychology and dentistry.Equality is not just a matter of gender balance, but also one of equal opportunities and the fair distribution of resources. The achievement of equality between the genders requires having a long-term, genuine desire to bring about change. Many parties are involved in allocating resources and making appointments, and there are many considerations which need to be taken into account. When we are involved in our everyday work it is easy to quickly lose sight of equality considerations unless targets have been expressed and clearly incorporated and responsibilities have been clearly allocated.This plan addresses the most important challenges involved in the UiB’s gender equality work during the forthcoming years. These challenges are explained in greater detail in the Equality Action Plan – Policy Document. This plan also needs to be seen in connection with those plans which deal with diversity and inclusion, the working environment, the learning environment, internationalisation and universal design.
Supporting documents:
Equality Action Plan – Policy Document
Equality Statistics
uib.no/en/balanse
The UiB’s Equality Committee
Download the Gender Equality Action Plan (pdf)
Priority areas for Gender Equality, 2017–2022
Priority area A: Gender balance and equality in research
Subgoal 1: Higher percentage of women in professorial positions.
- Faculty objective figures for percentage of women in scientific positions.
(Responcible: The University Board)
- Advertise permanent scientific positions at associate professor level.
(Responsible: The faculties)
- Pave the way for calling on women to apply for professorships in academic units which are particularly dominated by men.
(Responcible: Academic units and The University Board/the faculties)
- Half the qualifying period for research sabbaticals for female associate professors.
(Responcible: Academic units and The University Board/the faculties)
Subgoal 2: Higher percentage of women in academic management positions.
- Starter packs for externally recruited female departmental managers and deans, and permanent positions when fixed term contracts end.
(Responcible: The Universtity Director and the faculties)
- Research funds for female departmental managers and deans.
(Responcible: The U. Director, DRM and the faculties)
- Support for female professors applying for Centre measures and major projects.
(Responcible: The U. Director, DRM and the faculties)
Subgoal 3: Greater equality perspective on the distribution of research resources.
- Priority shall be placed on women when allocating strategic research resources.
(Responcible: The University Board and the faculties)
- Draw up annual equality accounts.
(Responcible: The University Board and the faculties)
Subgoal 4: More rapid career development for women in research.
- Starter packs for women being appointed in permanent scientific positions.
(Responcible: The University Director and deans)
- Equality funds for women in associate professor positions.
(Responcible: The University Director and deans)
- Other career promotion measures.
(Responcible: The University Director and deans)
Subgoal 5: Greater equality perspective on the use of adjunct professor/associate professor positions.
- Faculty objective figures for gender balance in adjunct professor/ associate professor positions.
(Responcible: The University Board)
- Partial funding of adjunct professor/ associate professor positions for research in units with gender imbalance.
(Responcible: The University Director and the faculties)
Subgoal 6: Greater emphasis on gender perspectives in research.
- Meet expectations about gender perspectives in research conducted by the Research Council of Norway and the EU.
(Responcible: DRM/BOA team/the faculties)
- Boost gender perspectives by having women in adjunct associate professor positions.
(Responcible: The University Director and the faculties)
Subgoal 7: More women visible in the media and participating in the social debate.
- Get more women on the Media List.
(Responcible: CD/the faculties)
- Media training courses for female researchers.
(Responcible: CD/HR)
DRM: Divison of Research Management • CD: Communication Division • HR: Division of Human Resources DSA: Division of Student Affairs • BOA: Bergen Open Access • TA: (technical/administrative)
Priority area B: Gender balance and ewuality in education
Subgoal 1: Achieve even gender balance in all studies.
- Obtain and disseminate knowledge about measures designed to promote better gender balance in studies.
(Responcible: The University Director and the faculties)
Subgoal 2: Higher percentage of men in some professional studies.
- Examine possible local measures for increasing the percentage of men in professional studies.
(Responcible: The University Director and relevant faculties)
- Contribute actively towards national processes designed to increase the percentage of men in professional studies
(Responcible: The University Director and relevant faculties)
Subgoal 3: Higher percentage of women in some natural sciences studies.
- Support for academic units for measures designed to promote the recruitment of women.
(Responcible: The faculties)
Subgoal 4: Secure gender perspectives and female role models in education and study literature.
- Partial funding of adjunct professor/ associate professor in units with gender imbalance.
(Responcible: The University Director/the faculties)
- Place emphasis on gender and gender theory in educational contexts.
(Responcible: The faculties)
Priority area C: Equality-focused organisation and management
Subgoal 1: Improved coordination of commitment to equality within the organisation.
- Highlight responsibilities for equality work and results.
(Responcible: The U. Director and Board/Rector, deans and central dept. mental directors)
- Seek equality expertise when making appointments to managerial positions.
(Responsible: The U. Director/faculties)
- Set aside adequate administrative resources for equality work.
(Responcible: The University Board)
- Increase funds set aside for equality.
(Responcible: The University Director)
- Equality shall be included in all management development programmes at the UiB.
(Responcible: The deans)
- Draw up guidelines for local equality work.
(Responcible: The University Director)
- The faculties can draw up their own equality action plans or highlight their priorities and activities in their annual plans and budgets.
(Responcible: The University Director)
- Active equality policy with special attention to low-income groups.
(Responcible: The University Director)
Subgoal 2: Better gender balance in TA positions.
- Identify causes of gender imbalance and assess possible measures.
(Responcible: The University Director)
Subgoal 3: Prevention and zero tolerance of harassment.
- Measures for information and reporting.
(Responcible: The U. Director, SA, HR and managers)