FOREST - Norm critical innovation for increased equality and attractiviness in SCA Forest

Important results from the project

The goal was to create an attractive workplace through innovative norm-critical gender equality and in the long term transform gender stereotypical notions of gender, competence and work. Completed activities have increased knowledge and awareness of gender equality, created reflection of one´s workplace and to some extent changed culture and conversational climate. It also shows that not only focusing on increasing the proportion of women and female managers is not enough to achieve the goal, it also requires a challenge to the male norm in the company to create a long-term change.

Expected long term effects

Follow-up research shows that knowledge and awareness of gender equality has increased and created reflection of one´s workplace, that to some extent has changed culture and climate. Results indicate that it is more common for gender composition to be discussed when recruiting, and there has been a doubling of the proportion of men who consider it important to consider underrepresented gender when recruiting. However, the prevailing norm must continue to be challenged in order for more people to be able to feel at home in the organization and thereby create an attractive workplace.

Approach and implementation

Mid Sweden University has done follow-up research in parallel with SCA Skogs´s ongoing gender equality work by participating as an observer in training and workshops, making in-depth interviews of employees and analyzing the results of the follow-up employee survey on, among other things, gender equality. The results have been used to assess the progress towards the project´s objective. The project´s reference group has consisted of an expert and researcher in gender equality and their views and reflections have been valuable for the project from planning and to analysis of results.