ISF shall promote gender equality and diversity among the institute’s employees and combat all forms of discrimination. The institute is a leading research community and has a broad project portfolio on the topics of gender equality, diversity in the labour market, and discrimination.
In general, ISF has a relatively good gender balance overall; however, there are variations across position types and groups. An important objective for the institute is to maintain a good gender balance and to work to improve the balance, where needed. At the same time, gender equality is not just about balance in terms of positions. It is also about ensuring that everyone enjoys equal opportunities and a working environment that opposes discrimination and harassment. This aspect is therefore given special emphasis in this action plan.
It is important for the institute to be an inclusive and exemplary workplace. This entails that ISF works continuously to promote equality, prevent discrimination, and facilitate its employees’ work regardless of gender, caregiving responsibilities, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, age, or other attributes.
The measures in the action plan shall be implemented during the effective period, and ISF will allocate the necessary personnel and other resources. ISF conducts an annual review of the status and implementation of measures. This review is compiled into a Gender Equality Report, which is submitted to the Board of Directors and made publicly available.
Objectives: Maintain gender balance at the institutional level and strengthen it at the group level where there is an imbalance
The situation in 2024:
- Total number of researchers (including PhD students): 47 researchers: 27 women and 20 men.
- Total number of employees in the Administration Department: 10 employees: 7 women and 3 men.
- Expanded Management Team: 7 managers: 3 women and 4 men.
- Overall, there is a good gender balance among permanent researchers, with some variation within the research groups. Most research groups have a good gender balance. There is a predominance of women in the Work and Welfare (ARV) and Equality, Inclusion and Migration (LIM) research groups, whereas men are predominantly represented in the Politics, Democracy and Society (PolDemSiv) research group.
Objectives 2030:
- The gender balance at the institutional level shall be 40–60 per cent or closer to parity among full-time researchers.
- The objective is a reasonable gender balance in the research groups and the Administration. However, somewhat larger gender differences may be accepted at the group level, as these are small units where a single individual can significantly impact the overall percentage.
Measures:
- When advertising vacancies within groups with a gender imbalance, particular emphasis shall be placed on the opportunity to recruit individuals of the underrepresented gender.
- Conduct a review of job advertisements to ensure that they appeal to applicants regardless of gender and background.
- If there are qualified applicants of both genders, at least one female and one male applicant shall be invited to an interview.
- When recruiting for groups with a gender imbalance, the candidate of the underrepresented gender shall be ranked first if two candidates are approximately equally qualified.
Objectives: Ensure equal opportunities for career development
The situation in 2024:
- Total number of Research Professors (Forsker 1): 22 researchers: 14 women and 8 men.
- Total number of Senior Researchers (Forsker 2): 21 researchers: 11 women and 10 men.
- The Administration consists of 2 Senior Consultants and 7 Senior Advisors.
Objectives 2030:
- All employees shall enjoy equal opportunities for career development regardless of gender, phase of life, or background.
- On average, it shall take the same amount of time for women and men to be promoted to a Research Professor position. Measures:
- Examine whether there are differences between women’s and men’s career trajectories, including whether gender influences the average time it takes from earning a PhD to being promoted to a Research Professor position.
- ISF’s annual portfolio analysis and Gender Equality Report assesses gender balance, career development, and project management. The reports are communicated to the staff. Management takes necessary follow-up actions.
- ISF shall encourage broad participation in project manager forums and qualification seminars to democratise access to knowledge that can aid career development.
- Individual follow-up and development plans are an important part of performance assessment interviews. These processes are to encourage career development and address possible needs for facilitation.
- ISF emphasises the importance of work-life balance for its employees. ISF expects both women and men to take parental leave and facilitates such leave.
- ISF’s events shall reflect the institute’s commitment to gender equality and diversity. Awareness of gender distribution in project groups and of the distribution of task types and publication opportunities shall also be ensured.
Objectives: Promote a working environment that ensures inclusion and diversity and opposes discrimination and harassment
The situation in 2024:
- Good working environment (cf. the Working Environment Survey (AMIS)), and women and men report equal opportunities. The development of the working environment will be followed up by strengthening professional and social meeting places, counteracting unwanted stress, and improving internal communication and support.
- The 2024 Working Environment Survey results indicate that diversity among employees is valued at ISF, but there is still room for improvement.
Objectives 2030:
- ISF has a working environment that includes and embraces diversity.
- ISF has a good, inclusive working environment, as documented in the Working Environment Survey.
- ISF has followed up on any whistleblowing/harassment matters with relevant measures.
- ISF’s employee group shall better reflect the diversity of society than it does today.
Measures:
- ISF’s management conducts annual reviews to reflect on and identify potential hidden obstacles at the institute related to employee inclusion and diversity, and develops relevant measures. This includes reflections on how ISF can ensure more diverse recruitment and an inclusive environment for all groups, including minority groups that may not already be represented at the institute.
- To help build an inclusive working environment, ISF’s management shall ensure that management and project managers are regularly made aware of the objectives and the situation pertaining to gender equality, inclusion, and the handling of differences at ISF. This can take place, for example, through project management forums, promotion seminars, and as an agenda item at joint gatherings. This will also occur in connection with recruitment processes, for example, by reflecting on whether the text of the job advertisement, recruitment channels, and recruitment criteria may have an exclusionary effect on certain groups, and by establishing internal committees to ensure that the administrative workload is not unevenly distributed.
- ISF monitors harassment, including sexual harassment, through the Working Environment Survey. Employees are asked to report incidents at ISF or while on assignment for ISF.
- ISF’s employees are familiarised with guidelines for whistleblowing, procedures for following up whistleblowing cases, and procedures for handling harassment cases.
- In recruitment processes where qualified applicants with a minority background are available, at least one such candidate shall be invited to an interview.