Plan aims to boost male students in under-represented fields

A report of the Men’s Equality Commission established in 2022 by a Royal Decree, has recommended a “comprehensive and long-term national initiative” to recruit boys for healthcare, social and educational subjects in higher education in order to address gender imbalances in these areas.

The report, The Next Steps of Gender Equality, was compiled by the commission consisting of 17 members.

The commission was mandated to examine gender equality challenges across a wide range of policy areas, including education and employment, family life, health, participation in civic life, and social exclusion.

It examined how men’s gender equality challenges relate to differences in income, education, class, geography, ethnicity, age-life stage, sexual orientation, gender identity, and levels of functional ability. In this way, the commission examines gender equality challenges from an intersectional perspective, the report notes.

It argues that although men constitute a majority within powerful political and economic positions, and men’s earnings on average are greater than women’s, men may still face gender equality challenges.

Growing differences

In respect of higher education, the commission noted that it has been known for a long time that the gender differences in higher education were growing.

The report proposes a 10-year plan to address the imbalances and argues the need for secure funding and a sense of responsibility for the plan to succeed.

Analysing the gender differences in higher education performance the report notes that fewer boys than girls enrol in higher education.

“Today, 40% of students in higher education are men. In many fields of study, the gender distribution is highly skewed. There is a particularly low proportion of men enrolled in teacher training and study programmes in pedagogy and health, social care and sports subjects. Far fewer men with disabilities enrol in higher education than other men,” it states.

“In addition to gender, family background, immigrant background and place of residence are also significant for school performance and educational choices. There is a clear connection between parents’ educational background and children’s school performance, and the same applies to completion of upper secondary education and enrolment in higher education,” it states.

In addition to the recruitment of men to healthcare, social and educational professions, the report proposes a range of measures aimed at helping men succeed in these study fields.

The commission also proposes the introduction of a quota system for the under-represented gender that is standardised across all higher education institutions.

Good and bad statistics

Receiving the report on 24 April, Norway’s Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery said: “This spring we have talked much about men and their place in the policy for gender equality. Great changes in men’s roles have taken place over the last decades and we have looked forward to having a systematic overview over problems and possible solutions.”

Referring to the report which notes that men rank highest on suicide, young boys are dropping out of school more often than girls, and men do not complete higher education in the same proportion as women, she said: “We have to take seriously that men are overrepresented in some good and some bad statistics. Many think that the gender roles for boys are too narrow and that boys are lacking good role models.”

Professor Bjørn Stensaker, vice-rector for education at the University of Oslo, told University World News:

“At the University of Oslo, we are very concerned that some disciplines and studies have a huge under-representation of either men or women, and we have found that quotas are an effective tool for addressing these problems.

“As such, we would like to use these and other means in more flexible ways. We hope that the national legislation will allow for more institutional discretion on how to solve these challenges in the years to come.”

Positive reception

Commission chair and secretary for Fellesforbundet (The United Federation of Trade Unions) Claus Jervell told University World News he was optimistic about the reception of the commission’s proposals by higher education institutions and other stakeholders.

“... The public in Norway is more concerned with boys and men’s equality challenges. When we have a preponderance of women in higher education at all levels, there is a need for an effort both when it comes to traditional female-dominated subjects within health and education and when it comes to previously male-dominated subjects that are now female-dominated.

“Just as we have worked actively to bring in women where they are under-represented, we must use the same tools for men.

“I also feel that our proposals are well received by those who work in the sector. Our main point in the report is that equality policy must include both women’s and men’s equality challenges,” he said.