Dear AU employees,

Yesterday, VIVE - the Danish Center for Social Science Research published a quantitative and qualitative study of PhD students’ experiences of sexism and retention in research careers in Denmark.

Sadly, it makes for extremely unpleasant reading.

The study reveals that for significant numbers of PhD students, Danish academia is an environment where they encounter sexist discrimination and harassment that has negative repercussions for their work, health and career choices. Such encounters with sexism are particularly widespread among female PhD students.

The report shows that:

• 37% of female PhD students have been exposed to at least one verbal incident that objectified, excluded or demeaned them on the basis of their gender in the course of their doctoral studies. For male PhD students, the proportion is 21%.
• 32% of female PhD students have been exposed to least one malicious sexual comment or action, including flashing. For male PhD students, the proportion is 13%.
• 23% of female PhD students have been exposed to unwanted sexual behaviour, defined as physical contact or attempts at physical contact, sexual coercion or other forms of sexual behaviour in which power imbalances play an active role, such as threats or rewards. The proportion is 6% for male PhD students.

In brief: this is completely unacceptable. Period. 

What’s more, the survey also reveals that female PhD students who have encountered sexist behaviour are less like to pursue a research career than their male peers. A bad work environment is forcing research talents out of the organisation. This is also unacceptable.

There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we must to combat sexism. Or rather – we must to continue to combat sexism. Because this is not a new issue, as all of you know. In 2020, we gained insight into the gravity of this problem at Danish universities, when a group of woman academics published testimonies about their encounters with sexism and hostile workplace culture in the national newspaper Politiken. In response, we took this up at Aarhus University and increased the urgency of our efforts to tackle sexism and our workplace culture challenges, for example through increased managerial focus, workshops and improved procedures for handling reports of harassment and unacceptable behaviour.

Although we have been actively working to improve our workplace culture at Aarhus University in recent years, no measurable improvement is reflected in the VIVE study. The conclusion we need to draw from this is that we must continue and intensify our efforts at every level of our organisation.

And the study also serves to underline the urgency of sustaining this focus on these issues and stepping up these efforts to achieve a safe, inclusive work environment. Not just for PhD students. For all employees, and for all students.

We encourage all of you to read and reflect on the VIVE study (In Danish only).

Sincerely,

Rector Brian Bech Nielsen, rector
Berit Eika, pro-rector
Maja Horst, dean of the Faculty of Arts
Thomas Pallesen, dean of Aarhus BSS
Anne-Mette Hvas, dean of the Faculty of Health
Eskild Holm-Nielsen, dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences
Erik Østergaard Jensen, acting dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences
Lone Ryg, director of Enterprise and Innovation
Kristian Thorn, university director