ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Part 2 – Conclusions of the review
up structures in Lund that could play a coordinating national role,
for example in nursing sciences.
F7. Gender and Equal Opportunity Issues
91. Lund University places special emphasis on increasing the number
of women in professorial and higher administrative positions.
Although some success has been achieved, with the percentage
of women in such positions being comparable or higher than in
many universities in North America and Western Europe, the
proportions remain low, particularly in the mathematical, physical
and engineering sciences where proportions fluctuate around 10%
(higher than that in American universities). In view of the limited
success attained by the University’s strenuous efforts to support
women’s careers, panels were asked to comment on how they
thought improvements could be made. This section summarises
our suggestions.
92 It is particularly surprising that the proportion of women in senior
posts is so relatively low in view of the strength of child care
infrastructure in Sweden, that many would consider to as an ideal
precondition for effective involvement of women in the work force
(government supported child care programmes, paternity leave options,
child support etc). A number of options for action emerged in
discussion with women scientists and administrators. They are by no
means an authoritative response to an issue that continues to plague
institutions worldwide, and should be taken as food for thought based
on cursory observations, with the possibility that we have misunderstood
essential cultural and social issues that influence it.
a) Job insecurities
93. The relative insecurity of the early years of academic careers (see
section F2), when many post-doctoral researchers are waiting for
academic posts to become open, where a large part of salary tends to
depend on winning external grants, and when posts could in principle
be lost if such funding fails, may disproportionately effect women.
It tends to coincide with child-bearing years, when women are faced
with the decision of whether to have a family or to devote themselves
fully to academic achievement and job security. Thus, despite the
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