What We Do
The secretariat’s work is research driven with a focus on Swedish, Nordic and international collaboration.
Our overarching purpose is to contribute towards knowledge development that encourages sustainable conditions for research, education and working life. The secretariat’s researchers and investigators conduct research reviews, investigations and analyses and identify knowledge gaps and research needs. We communicate the results of our work and contribute knowledge, expert support and process support in our specialist fields. Arranging and participating in seminars, dialogues, networking and conferences are also a part of what we do. Themes that the secretariat is currently prioritising include sexual harassment in educational and work environments, demographic challenges and the working life of tomorrow, the sustainable development goals connected to the 2030 Agenda, and hate and threats targeting researchers.
Focus areas
Our activites are organised within three focus areas and one support area, which interact with each other and the whole:
- A sustainable working life
- A free knowledge society
- An equal Nordic region
- Support for Nordic knowledge
We distinguish ourselves from many other actors working on issues related to gender equality, gender and working life.
Our activities are research-driven, part of the University of Gothenburg and have the role of a co-operation body in the Nordic region. We participate in several international collaboration projects and have the task of being Sweden's expert function for gender and gender equality in the European Research Area (ERA). The combination and breadth of these various elements distinguishes us from many other organisations working on similar issues.
We make visible the consequences of gender-based violence and harassment, as well as hatred and threats, against researchers and teachers in Sweden and the EU.
This highlights the need for research and higher education policy solutions that ensure fair conditions for achieving quality in research and teaching. And to achieve academic freedom.
We highlight challenges for a sustainable working life and education.
Changing conditions in the labour markets affect the perception of knowledge and learning. In the Nordic region, both education and the labour market are strongly gendered. This has consequences for study and working conditions, wages, and the distribution of power and resources in society.
We contribute with perspectives on the green transition, sustainable lifestyles and vulnerable living conditions.
The green transition and digital development pose new challenges. How do we achieve sustainable development that includes everyone? We contribute knowledge about gender-based vulnerability and gender norms.
We co-operate in higher education and research policy.
We are an established part of the Swedish higher education policy landscape, where our role is to initiate, manage and develop research-based knowledge that strengthens core academic values: meritocracy, collegiality, critical perspectives and academic freedoms. In the Nordic region and the EU, our role is to contribute research-based knowledge and drive policy development with a focus on gender equality and gender in research.
Themes
Right now, we prioritize working with the following themes, which are relevant both within and between our focus areas:
- Research and higher education in a new era
- Transitions in work and education
- Exposed living conditions in the Nordic region
Below you can read more about our themes and the current projects we are working on within them. You can also read more about our support for Nordic knowledge and our news.
