Bulletin of Comparative Labour Relations                                        57

Women in Academia and Equality Law

A Comparative Perspective

Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom

Editor

Roger Blanpain

Guest Editor

Ann Numhauser-Henning

Contributors

Ann Numhauser-Henning

Lynn Roseberry

Anne-Marie Daune-Richard

Dagmar Schiek

Almut Kirschbaum

Csilla Kollonay Lehoczky

Elena Urso

Susanne Burri

Christopher McCrudden

Kluwer Law

International

Table of contents

Introduction: Aiming high – falling short?
Ann Numhauser-Henning

Denmark
Structural and unconscious gender discrimination in Danish universities
Lynn Roseberry

France
Gender equality in French Academia
Anne-Marie Daune-Richard

Germany
New governance for higher education institutions, prospects for female university careers and equality law
Dagmar Schiek and Almut Kirschbaum

Hungary
Easy to accede, hard to succeed – the ambivalent case of academic career for women in post-socialist Hungary
Csilla Kollonay Lehoczky

Italy
‘Playing with fire’: Equality, fairness and the paradox of a gender blind society
Elena Urso

The Netherlands
Women in Academia in the Netherlands – bridging the gap?
Susanne Burri

Sweden
Recruitment targets for women professors – mission impossible?
Ann Numhauser-Henning

United Kingdom
Progress, problems and opportunities
Christopher McCrudden

Contributors

Editorial

Equality is one of the most fundamentally formulated human rights of our times and at the same time one of the most difficult objectives to reach. 

No doubt, there is hardly a stronger human right than that all men, women included, are born equal.  Consequently, we find this right not only in the Universal and European Declarations of Human Rights, but also in the projected EU Constitution, EC law and in numerous national constitutions and legislations.  Over the years different aspects, especially at EU level, have been clearly addressed: the notion: direct and indirect discrimination versus differentiation, sexual harassment, the forbidden grounds of discrimination, the problems related to proof, and reversed of proof, positive discrimination, sanctions, action programmes and the like.

And nevertheless, progress is slow, if indeed there is progress at all.  Undoubtedly, some advances have been made regarding equal pay, vocational training and the like.  But, no doubt, overall tensions between nationalities are growing, especially regarding migrants and relating to religion to give a few examples.  In quite a number of countries xenophobia is on the rise and extremist parties, wanting to sending foreigners home, get increasing support in the polls.

If we look at the discussion relating to Turkey joining the EU, many Europeans seem to be opposed, for reasons of rejecting the foreign culture and religion.

Also the goals of equality between men and women have hardly been reached.  Undoubtedly some progress has been made, but there remain a lot of flaws.  One is the glass ceiling – the (lack of) presence of women in academia being precisely an example of this.

These facts teach us that there are basic reasons, inherent in the way our societies function, which relate to values and conceptions, which are transferred over the generations in an almost silent way about the role of the two sexes, which put a brake on the equality development.

Therefore, it is more than necessary to analyse the societal reality regarding equality in depth, see what the developments are, how they are caused and how they can be effectively be remedied.

In this Bulletin, we proudly welcome the results of a two-day conference held at the University of Lund, where the role of Women in Academia and Equality were discussed by prominent scholars, specialised in teaching, research and university administration.

The goal to have a fair, let’s say an equal representation of women in academia, was put forward, also from the knowledge that a lot of precious human resources are wasted at a time where we need the intellectual input in order to successfully take up the challenges of the information society.

All aspects are examined, so regarding the selection of academics, the selection criteria, the possibilities of positive action, the role of the academia vs. the role of the market and the broader societal approach of opening the society towards a natural movement leading to more equality. 

No doubt the best should prevail, but all should be given the opportunity and the chance as well in theory as in practice to become the best. And there is the question of whether the quality concept is also gender biased.

We are extreme grateful to Professor Ann Numhauser-Henning and her colleagues for gives us such a deep-seated analysis of the problems women in academia encounter and for showing us some ways forward.

Roger Blanpain