Discriminated men

Public employees in Västernorrland County will learn to be politically correct and adhere to the strict guidelines of the so-called core values. However, those behind the training have themselves been guilty of discrimination.

Through a collaboration between the County Administrative Board of Västernorrland and Mid Sweden University, and on behalf of the Network of Authorities, a new digital training in discrimination, gender equality, and interaction has been developed.

According to the County Administrative Board, all authorities are responsible for actively working with gender equality and discrimination, and they explain that “gender equality and discrimination are about individuals’ rights and obligations and therefore have their basis in democratic values”.

Holding common frames of reference is said to be an important aspect of gender equality and human rights work, as well as systematic work where the entire organization, including management, is involved.

– All those working in public administration need to consider power and responsibility in relation to those we meet in our assignments, says Sara Marklund, developer in human rights at the County Administrative Board of Västernorrland.

According to Jenny Långström, expert in gender equality at the County Administrative Board of Västernorrland, the purpose of the training is to create a common basic understanding of some of the themes that are central to public authorities.

Carin Jämtin is the County Governor of Västernorrland. Photographer: Erik Engelro

When Mid Sweden University announced the opportunity to apply for a certain pool of research funds in the fall of 2013, a male lecturer at the university discovered that the information had only been sent to women. Mid Sweden University wanted the research funds to go to an underrepresented gender.

Due to the approach, the lecturer believed that he had missed an opportunity to apply for research funds and filed a complaint with the Equality Ombudsman, which supported the man’s position and assessed that the university had engaged in discrimination against men. The authority compared the process to quotas, which is not allowed.

“If done correctly, there is absolutely the possibility of using positive discrimination, but the selection process must not be automatic. An objective assessment of the applicants’ merits must first be made without taking gender into account”, wrote the then Equality Ombudsman Agneta Broberg in a press release.