My voice: Ning de Coninck-Smith
Why did you take part in the initiative Sexism in Danish Higher Education and Research…
We, the group behind the initiative, emphasize that sexism needs to be addressed at all levels in parallel if sexism is to be effectively countered.
This includes individuals acting. All individuals – those who experience sexism, those who witness it. Those in power positions – all types of power, formal and informal. And especially leaders, because they carry extra responsibility for the working environment and for their employees and their careers, possibilities and openings, their well-being and potential for growing and contributing.
The handbook provides many tools and insights that point to how such action can take form and place.
But it also – crucially – requires that institutions act in ways that can effectively address and counter sexism. In ways, that may make it easier for individuals to speak up. And that can ensure that we all have a good and sound knowledge base on which to act.
Institutional action includes establishing and nurturing systems, processes and designated bodies at the institutional as well as the national levels – in short, an effective infrastructure for both handling and preventing sexism and for clearly making the eradication of sexism a priority.
Based on current research and good practices throughout international academia, we propose a detailed and implementable plan for what such an effective organization must include. This covers two crucial aspects: a) thorough and continuously updated data and detailed knowledge base, and b) national bodies and procedures. At the national level our recommendation is to establish three bodies that together may address complementary aspects and needs arising from a sexist culture in Academia:
At the institutional level our recommendation includes:
Such an infrastructure will have tangible and positive effects for Academia: It would comply with the increased focus on measures to prevent gender-based violence for instance in the European Commission and the EU funding programmes, thus increasing the eligibility for receiving funding. And it will improve working environment and psychological safety, with the foreseen effect that the leaky pipeline and problems of drop-out, especially for people in precarious positions, may be alleviated.
Why did you take part in the initiative Sexism in Danish Higher Education and Research…
The following is a collection of relevant resources concerning sexism in Academia – both international and Danish – they are listed here for your convenience and as a place to gather more knowledge and access resources. They are collected in the winter of 2021 and will not be updated. Please note that not all resources are publicly available.
Karolinska Institutet Samverkan – Forskningsprogram om utsatthet i akademin (in Swedish)
Copenhagen Business School – Let’s talk about sexual harassment January, 2019
KVINFO – Sexchikane og kønskrænkelser plager it faget – March 5. 2020 (in Danish)
Kvinder, Køn og Forskning – Køn og Akademia – July 30, 2019 (in Danish)
Ålborg Universitet – Seksuel chikane på arbejdspladsen – 2017 (in Danish)
Council of Europe – Istanbul convention
Council of Europe – New Council of Europe action against sexism – September 16, 2019
Council of Europe – Gender Equality – Combating and Preventing sexism – March 27, 2019
Council of Europe – EIGE – Gender Equality Index – Compare countries – 2019
Council of Europe – Violence and harassment Convention – 2019
EIGE – Sexism at work handbook
KVINFO – Bekæmp sexisme og seksuel chikane på arbejdspladser (in Danish)
Council of Europe – Human Rights Channel – Stop Sexism
Horizon Europe’s Guidance on Gender Equality Plans, 2021
UniSAFE – Making universities and research organisations safe from gender based violence
ITSTOPSNOW – Ending Sexual Harassment and Violence in Third Level Education (ESHTE)
SDU – Uønsket seksuel opmærksomhed fra ledere og kollegaer – 2018 til 2021 (in Danish)
Cambridge University – Policies procedures – Dignity Work Policy
Columbia University – Sexual Respect is a commitment
New Zealand – Restorative Justice following sexual violence
Ombuds Office – The Ombuds Office is scheduling appointments by phone or Zoom
Copenhagen Business School – GENDER AND ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AT CBS – September 20, 2016