About the Secretariat

Commission

 On 2 September 1998, the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research was inaugurated by former Minister for Education and Science, Carl Tham. Two years earlier in 1996, the Swedish Parliament had decided that a national secretariat should be established and located in Göteborg, as a step in a comprehensive investment in research from a gender perspective. The basis for the decision was a report on women in higher education and women's studies, commissioned by the Swedish Government and entitled Viljan att veta och viljan att förstå: Kön, makt och den kvinnovetenskapliga utmaningen ["The will to know and the will to understand: gender, power and the challenge of women's studies"] (SOU 1995:110).

It was proposed that a secretariat for the enhancement of women's studies and gender research would be established, with information and co-ordination as one of its main purposes. Similar national secretariats - or national co-ordinary bodies - have long existed in the other Nordic countries. In Sweden, however, women's studies Centres and Forums were built up during the 1970s and later, at several universities.

However, the need to gain an overview of this field of research remains, as does the need to facilitate communication between gender researchers, both in Sweden and internationally.

Some of the Secretariat's primary tasks are to:

• Gain a general overview of gender research in Sweden.
• Actively distribute research results both within and beyond the universities.
• Work to increase awareness of the significance of the gender perspective.
• Analyse the status and development opportunities of the gender perspective in all areas of study
   

The Secretariat's work takes on various forms: analyses/studies, distribution of information and influencing of public opinion. The Secretariat is based at Göteborg University and collaborates with the Women's History Collections at Göteborg University Library, which was delegated nation-wide responsibility in 1997 as a documentation centre for women's, gender and men's studies. The Secretariat and the Women's History Collections primarily work together on information distribution.

The Secretariat's journal Genus [Gender] is published four times a year, containing news and reports on gender research in Sweden, as well as interviews with researchers on ongoing or completed projects, and discussions on political decisions, surveys and reports relating to gender research. Other features include guest columnists, a debate page, a national calendar, notices on new literature, etc.

The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research has initiated several reports with the aim of providing an overview of gender research in Sweden, and analyses how research is distributed within various disciplines and faculties. The purpose of this is to identify areas in which it is particularly important to make efforts to promote gender research.

Programme for gender mainstreaming

The 3rd of july the secretariat received a new assignment from the Swedish government. The purpose is to form a support for governmental agencies in their work with gender mainstreaming.

The programme contains following tasks:

• develop methods for gender mainstreaming
• create a forum for the exchange of experiences on gender mainstreaming
• inform about gender mainstreaming and
• create the conditions for a long term support for gender mainstreaming
   

The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research has received 13 millions SEK to complete the mission. The programme will end December 31, 2010. Please read more about the programme and its activities at www.jamiprogram.se.