Gender perspective on research

FOI’s research must have a gender perspective. This means that research studies must highlight and analyse the conditions for women and men, when relevant. This in turn helps to ensure that FOI’s research and technology development has ever greater relevance for society in general.

The government’s terms of reference for FOI state that the conditions for women and men should be highlighted and analysed, when relevant.

A gender perspective means, first and foremost, an awareness and understanding of how biological, social and cultural differences between women and men affect and shape us as people. Any system based on human activities runs the risk that unconscious biases about what is considered “female” and “male” will affect the system’s design or use.

At the same time, too much emphasis on what separates men and women can lead us to ignore important similarities. Each project at FOI must therefore assess which gender aspects are important for the current assignment.

Already in the start-up phase of a research project, we must describe how men’s and women’s conditions will be taken into account and, if not, justify why.

A diversity of starting points and perspectives contributes to strengthening the societal relevance of the knowledge, technology and innovations that FOI produces. Highlighting and analysing women’s and men’s conditions, when relevant, is thus a question of the quality of research and its delivery.