Sweden: National expert group on gender equality in higher education appointed by the government

The Swedish Government has appointed an expert group on gender equality for the Minister of Higher Education and Research in May 2015. The group is to present ideas and proposals for the next governmental White Paper on Research which is due autumn 2016. Furthermore, it has to present its main conclusions by the end of 2016 on how to increase gender equality in universities. Members represent different societal stakeholders, and include, among others, Professor Agnes Wold, the co-author of the high-impact Nature article on gender bias in Swedish Medical Research Council funding allocations.

"The Government's goal is that the proportion of women among professors increases, that research funding is divided equally, and that universities are given a clearer task to work with gender mainstreaming in all their activities. The expert group is going to be a central tool in shaping new reforms in this area", says Minister of Higher Education and Research, Helene Hellmark Knutsson.

Source: Press release of the Ministry of Education, May 13, 2015, in Swedish (http://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2015/05/helene-hellmark-knuts…)