Archive
2020

Research on energy is not gender neutral
"The meaning of gender perspectives in research is often reduced to just counting the number of men and women. This is a very shallow interpretation of the term. In order to create a better climate, we need to understand the people behind the energy habits," according to researcher.

Arabic women’s football: supported by the regime, but still breaking social norms
Norms and legislation strictly limit women's lives in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Nevertheless, women find ways to realise themselves – like by playing football.
2019

“Of course Muslim feminists exist”
With her book about feminism in Islam, Marianne Hafnor Bøe not only aims to create awareness of Muslim feminists, she also wants to expand the term ‘feminism’.

“Europe wants more gender research”
Gender equality generates better results within research and innovation. In addition, EU bureaucrats argue that European research funding should be earmarked with specific requirements for gender perspectives.

Gender issues are ridiculed and sabotaged in the military
The masculine culture in the Norwegian Armed Forces is a democratic problem. This makes it difficult to work with issues related to gender, according to researcher.

Religious minority youth between patriarchy and gender equality
Gender roles is a delicate topic for religious minority groups. Many of them accept traditional gender segregation in the religious community, but struggle with prejudices from the greater society, according to researcher.

Our image of ISIS women is incomplete
The ideological conviction was often deeper among the women who joined the ISIS than among the men who did the same, according to researchers.

Research gaps in sexual violence against girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual violence is a human rights issue and a women's health issue. Without adequate research-based knowledge, neither health services nor the justice system can offer victims the help they need.

“Women’s historical contributions are still ignored”
“Women’s history brings forth knowledge concerning one half of humanity, and makes sure that the discipline does not become gender blind,” says professor of history at University of Oslo, Hilde Sandvik.

Feminist scientists criticise gender bias in the tech industry
Whatever you find when you google depends on the people who have developed the algorithms. American researcher fears enhanced sexism and racism unless the IT sector begins to promote diversity.

Cars are still designed for men
With its research on safety for all, Volvo has a clear gender perspective on industrial innovation. So far they are quite alone in this respect.

“The urban space is sexualised and misogynistic”
“Our unconsciousness is shaped by sexist messages from advertisements. The public urban space in one of the world’s most gender equal countries is not designed for women,” according to social geographer Emma Arnold.

The EU raises the standard of Norwegian gender equality policies
That the EU affects Norwegian gender equality policies has mostly proven to be a good thing. But an individual-oriented policy puts pressure on the social democratic approach, say researchers.

Controversial documentary used to de-legitimize Norwegian gender research
Rumours that the TV show 'Brainwash' put an end to Norwegian gender research is alive and kicking in anti-feminist circles internationally.

Therapy can help men stop domestic violence
It is not given that violent men who get therapy will stop their behaviour. A decisive factor for success is that the therapist and the client have a common understanding of the problem, according to researcher Bente Lømo.

Men are more often than women fooled by placebo
It was not until the 1990s that researchers fully began to include both genders in health research. Sara Magelssen Vambheim has contributed with valuable new insights in her study of gender differences in pain experiences.

One of four LGBT people experience hate speech
A new report shows that twice as many LGBT people are victims of discrimination and exclusion as the rest of the population. The risk increases even more among those with minority characteristics.

The university as a democratic institution is at stake
Values like equality, inclusion and diversity are being stifled by the prevailing management ideology in academia, critics note. “We must create an academic culture of compassion,” says British organizational psychologist Kathryn Waddington.

Calls for a revival of the artist Hannah Ryggen
“What was written about Hannah Ryggen in the eighties and nineties does not reflect the quality of her art and her significance during her own time,” according to art historian Marit Paasche.

Still embarrassing to talk about menstruation
“Norwegian women are perhaps not as modern and liberated today as we like to think,” says researcher Camilla Mørk Røstvik. She has examined how women – and some men – describe their experiences with menstruation in the twentieth century.

Queer lives find their way to the museum
How have the limits for what is considered acceptable sexuality been drawn and negotiated through history? This is the question we need to ask in order to understand not only the past, but also our present, according to Tone Hellesund.
2018

The gender dimension should be broadly integrated in research
The quality of research designed to solve our time’s social challenges is strengthened when the gender dimension is included, writes John-Arne Røttingen, director of The Research Council of Norway.

Intelligent robots may strengthen gender norms
Machines and technology increasingly fill more and more human functions. According to researchers, society’s gender roles affect the development of robots and artificial intelligence, but technology may also shape ideas about gender.

Podcast: A threat to academic freedom is a threat to women’s rights
Academic freedom is threatened by authoritarian right-wing populism in countries in Europe and Latin America. Listen to a podcast discussing why this matters to women's rights.

European gender scholars unite in resistance against right-wing attacks
How are Hungarian, Polish and Swedish gender scholars responding to criticism and campaigns to discredit their work? Not only do they emphasize the intrinsic value of gender studies – they also use humour to counter the anti-gender campaigns.

Knowledge about gender needs decolonising
The legacy from colonialism characterises Norwegian academia. Now, Norwegian researchers want to examine their own disciplines and include non-western perspectives in the academic institutions’ scholarly production.

Domestic violence is a gendered problem
The way in which we understand violence against women has changed, according to researcher Linda Sjåfjell. It used to be perceived as a gender equality problem, whereas today we explain it in more individual terms.

Research on sexual harassment: Norway close behind Sweden
A new working group will document the extent of sexual harassment in Norwegian academia. Now Sweden is encouraging Norway to follow its lead and set aside money for research in this area.

Why is gender research under attack in Europe?
In Hungary, the authorities are planning to close down and ban gender studies. This attack on gender research must be seen in connection with right-wing populism’s anti-feminist values, writes Linda Marie Rustad.

Historic debate moved Argentina closer to the legalisation of abortion
On 8 August, a proposal to legalise elective abortion was debated and rejected in Argentina’s highest legislative body. Despite the decision, Argentina has shown itself as a democracy with room for female voices, according to researcher Camila Gianella.