Women's Studies and Gender Research in Finland. Evaluation Report.

An evaluation has been carried out into the position and standard of Women’s Studies and Gender Research in Finland during 1995-2001. The evaluation focused on Women’s Studies units at the universities and on research carried out at regular university departments and in research institutes. The assessment also included both the societal relevance of the field and the effectiveness of its teaching arrangements. The evaluation shows that the development of Women’s Studies in Finland has been successful. In particular, the field is characterised by a high degree of cooperation and networking, an active communication and interaction with the surrounding society, a high level of internationalisation and an impressive degree of external funding.

In Finland, the field has been strongest within the humanities and the social sciences, whereas research on gender and technology has been underdeveloped. The panel sets out a number of recommendations directed to the Ministry of Education, the Academy of Finland, the Council of Equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs and health, the individual universities, and the local units of Women’s Studies.