The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, Gothenburg University

The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research at the University of Gothenburg was inaugurated in 1998 as part of a major Swedish parliamentary initiative for research with a gender perspective. The central aim of the Secretariat is to strengthen the impact of research and knowledge related to gender and gender equality in academia and the rest of society. The work includes to monitor, analyze and spread information about the development and current situation of gender research in Sweden by providing online information and a newsletter about research policy; making databases available; issuing scientific reports and other publications; taking part in national, Nordic and international networks; holding conferences, seminars and workshops for gender researchers, gender-equality practitioners and the public; answering queries about gender research in Sweden; carrying out research on and surveys of political, economic and scientific factors affecting gender research. Nordic Information on Gender, NIKK, is an assignment by The Nordic Council of Ministers placed as a cooperative body at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research. NIKK gathers and distributes knowledge on policy and practice, facts and research in the area of gender equality – in a Nordic perspective and to a broad group of stakeholders. The assignment is ongoing.

Since 2008, the Secretariat has accepted several assignments in the gender equality field with the objective to strengthen the work in relation to gender mainstreaming. Over the years, the Secretariat has built up extensive gender equality competence with a focus on qualified process support, education and knowledge production. Currently, the Swedish government has assigned the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research to support the efforts of 41 government agencies selected to work with gender mainstreaming until 2018. The project started out with 18 pilot agencies in 2013-2014, and the plan is now to spread their experiences to 23 new agencies. As part of the assignment, the Secretariat will support the planning and implementation of the agencies’ development work. The Secretariat will also coordinate competence development efforts, arrange forums for sharing of experiences, identify and spread good examples and document results of the agencies’ work.

Includegender.org is a Swedish national resource for gender equality, administered by the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research. The portal offers information and news about gender equality as well as practical examples of and concrete tools for gender equality work. Includegender.org was launched in December 2009 and is a unique Swedish cooperative venture involving the European Social Fund, the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, the County Administrative Board, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA).
 
The Secretariat has about thirty employees: manager, administrators, research officers, project coordinators and communication officers.