Category: Blog (English) (Page 2 of 2)

​Amalia Verdu

I had the pleasure of visiting the Women´s University Institute at the Madrid´s Autonomous University in June. This is a very special place not only because of being my alma mater but also because it was the first University Women´s Institute in Spain.

The Institute was founded by Prof. Angeles Duran in 1973 as a seminar on women’s studies. During my stay, I was also able to meet her. She is a fascinating woman who worked as Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University and who always tried to promote research from a feminist perspective. Later in 1993 the Seminar became the University Institute being now Prof. of Philosophy of Law Cristina Sanchez the Director.

The core aim of the Institute relies in promoting and mainstreaming the gender perspective in all researches. Therefore, its interdisciplinary character allows multiple collaborations among researchers from different disciplines, resulting in the constitution of an interdisciplinary research group coined as “feminism and gender” to promote the research on both feminism and gender in all disciplines.

     Picture: Amalia Verdu

I had the chance during my stay of attending one of the most important Institute’s event organized since 1983, the interdisciplinary research seminar. This seminar aims to promote the feminist and gender research and networking among senior and younger researchers. This year was the XXII Jornadas de Investigación Interdisciplinar  with the title “Displacements, violence and gender”. The presenter’s focused on women´s migration and Diasporas, all in connection with an Institute’s project on political violence. This supposed rich and different approaches to the issue due to the broad approach to the understanding of displacement which includes not only physical but also geographic and symbolic displacements. All presentations were based on research projects analyzing the role of violence and moreover, the violence against women suffered in different displacement and Diasporas. The presentations analyzed the violence produced and reproduced in the specific event of women migrations. The roots, sources and process of displacement and Diasporas varied enormously depending on sex. Sex and sexuality become important factors in the analysis of forced mobility as women compromised their security as much as men but also their sexuality. Dangers and vulnerabilities become specific to their sex in which also their sexuality becomes a negotiating factor.

The outcome of such seminars usually crystallizes in a book edited with the selected presentations. In parallel to the seminar the Institute awards the prize Angeles Duran to the best year’s book on women and gender. This year the prize went to Cristina Tarzibachi with the book Cosa de mujeres about the women´s menstruation´s economic and social impact throughout history, describing and analyzing a different and original approach to a very specific women issue. An special recognition was granted to  the book written by Ana Maria Romero Burillo and Cristina Rodriguez Orgaz, called La proteccion de la victim de violencia de genero (the protection of the victims of gender violence) where they analyse the ten years implementation of the gender violence law in Spain.

Picture: Pixabay

I spent a very fruitful month in Madrid with the possibility of meeting other researchers working on women and gender. I was able to witness also the sudden change of government that resulted in the first government in the world with a majority of women.  Although, I must say, this event was shadowed by the judicial decision of conditional freedom for the gang of rapers called La manada.  These to contradictory events highlight the paradox of the XXI^st century; women can be equals but still keeping their sexual object position. ​

Amalia Verdu is a PhD researcher at the University of Turku

World moves so fast today

the past seems so far away

we met just five years ago

little did we know!

In the beginning

was team building

Mårten got us organized

reports to be scrutinized.

Rosemary took the lead

and soon the heat

with the influx of refugees in 2015.

With the help of Barbara and Afsheen

we have worked for the HR protection

making reports on discrimination

child rights, autonomy and de-institutionalization

fingerprints, hotspots  and data-protection

rule of law, EU-midis and Roma inclusion.

Michael brought the message to the Commission

Gabriel, Joanne and Iohannis cared for communication.

Eating many a gulasch in Sperl restaurant

made us exuberant

after approving the final handbook

we’ll put our experience in a book

that will give us a reason

to meet in the coming season!

Author: Two first lines from Miseducation of Lauren Hill, the rest JN.

The #metoo campaign has made sexual harassment visible. Now it is time to look at what can be done about the issue itself. While it is important to change the structures and attitudes, hereby we propose concrete guidelines for ways in which anyone can take action.

These guidelines concern everyday sexual harassment and other harassment – not sexual violence and abuse.

(For sexual violence and abuse, there are professional guidelines to follow. For a victim of violence, the first thing is to go to see a doctor.)

                                                                                                                                                           Photo by Mihai Surdu on Unsplash

If you are being treated inappropriately

1. Calm down. Your feelings are legitimate and well-founded, but an emotional reaction can exacerbate the situation. Whenever possible, explain calmly that the behavior which you are experiencing is not comfortable or appropriate.
2. If you find the situation risky or threatening, try to escape.
3. If you have to face the harasser repeatedly, e.g. at work, consider obtaining proof of their conduct. Modern technology provides opportunities for audio and video recording.
4. Using humor towards the harasser is not always advisable. Even though many harassers consider themselves funny, usually they do not understand humor.
5. Talk about your experience. Share it at least with a friend.
6. If the harassment occurs at work, there are people to contact at your workplace.
   Sexual harassment is discrimination under the Gender Equality Directive. The employer is responsible for ensuring a harassment-free working environment. However, the employer cannot correct any errors if they are not aware of them. A confidential reporting system should be available within your organization.
7. If gender equality is not adequately addressed at your workplace, you can also discuss your experience confidentially with health care professionals. If connected to the employer, they can raise the issue, also without mentioning names if preferred.
8. Could you find someone else to rely on within your community? E.g. the superior of the harasser or a colleague whose discretion you can trust? You are not responsible for reporting. The employer is responsible for a safe workplace and the harassers for their actions.

If you are a superior or otherwise influential

9. Acknowledge your position of power.
10. Never belittle anyone’s feelings. Your careless attitude can be extremely detrimental to the wellbeing of the harassed person.
11. Never blame the victim for how they have reacted to the experience, e.g. if they have failed to report it.
12. Talk with the abuser. If the victim needs confidentiality, you can raise general issues with the harasser, e.g. concerning the atmosphere at the workplace and the code of conduct, instead of a specific case.
13. As a representative of the employer, it may be your duty to take action against the harasser. Contact the human resources department.
14. As a bystander, consider what you could do to combat harassment. Your intervention may be crucial. Perhaps you are able to talk to the abuser.
15. Pay attention to how your female colleagues are treated. If women are interrupted or spoken over, please highlight it to others. If you find that a proposal made by a woman is ignored or referred to as an idea of a male colleague, correct the error. See point 22.

If you are the Prime Minister, MP or other politician

16. Make a public statement to combat sexual harassment, violence against women and discrimination against women.
17. Declare that you are a feminist or a pro-feminist.
18. Propose an amendment to the Penal Code, defining rape by the lack of consent (contrary to the current definition, according to which the use of force is a necessary characteristic to constitute a rape crime).
19. Make an initiative requiring that also workplaces with less than 30 employees should have a gender equality plan.
20. Propose that recurrent verbal abuse, which is derogatory due to its sexist nature, ought to be included in the Penal Code under sexual harassment.

If you have less political influence than the above

21. Find out whether your workplace has an equality plan and how it instructs responding to sexual harassment.
22. Pay attention to sexism. For instance:
    a. Do not interrupt a woman’s speech.
    b. Learn to tag #allmalepanels.
    c. Learn how to appeal against sexist advertising to the Council of Ethics in Advertising.
    d. Learn to say: “Shouldn’t this team have a 40 percent female representation / at least one woman?”
    e. Always propose a woman to a working group or a post. (If you have a male best candidate in mind, propose him plus one competent woman.)
    f. Remember that work and hobbies must be organized in a manner which enables also colleagues with families to participate.

The options are plenty! Find your way to prevent harassment!

You may think that only somewhat privileged individuals can follow these guidelines. You are right. Therefore, it is vital for everyone to act within their remit – together our efforts can make a difference!

Summary of the Univerisity seminar on Jan 19th, 2018/JN:

Thank you for coming to this old city

to share your thoughts about university

to give speeches in its honor

in the midst of your daily labor

It is great to be among friends

when we are facing new trends

among them flagships

demand on leadership.

pressure to get scholarships

Deans are pushing for international publishing

in journals with high ranking

and more efficient supervising

In Finland’s Academy open access

is the key to success.

To tell the truth, contradicting conditions

are the norm in higher education.

We are changing entrance examination

to curriculum leading to Master.

Would the progress be faster

with a separate program access

completing the Bologna process

The creation of new knowledge

should all standpoints acknowledge.

We have been today bilingual,

and quite intellectual.

Also gender, race or age

should not be a cage

but as a source of experience

enriching work of science.

University is for us precious

but conditions often precarious.

Among all academic hardship

it is wonderful to have your friendship!