So, 3 weeks ago I started researching the gender gap at the University of Helsinki. As a renown university with notable feminist influence, I thought the very wide gender gap is curious- female students outnumber male students by a 2:1 ratio. I did this video analysis here, which links and graphs in the description.

I emailed several offices at the university, including the student union representatives for diversity. I received this response:

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Copy/paste:

Thank you for your message. You raised an important issue. The issue is multidimensional, as it also involves wider phenomena in Finnish society.

The goal of the University of Helsinki Equality and Diversity Plan is to support the creation of a healthy studying and working environment. The University continues to be committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in all its operations. The equality and diversity work of the University has taken the issue you raised into account, for example, when we have studied the gender ratios mentioned in the equality and diversity plan (pages 15–16). Attention has also been paid to the gender ratio of certain disciplines.

When researching this issue, it is good to consider other aspects, for example, career progression by gender. Therefore, you might want to contact Finnish Professor Liisa Husu (https://www.oru.se/personal/liisa_husu), who has done research on this subject.

This seems wholly inadequate to me, and fails to really address the issue at all. There are no solutions offered, nor any reasoning or suggestion of research into why this problem is actually happening in the first place.

So I decided to reply:

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[entire text in this block is my reply, starting below]

“ Hi, sorry for the late reply

The goal of the University of Helsinki Equality and Diversity Plan is to support the creation of a healthy studying and working environment

Interesting, but would it not also be for equality and diversity, as is in the name? If there isn’t an equal opportunity to attend the university, then simply providing for current and future students doesn’t seem sufficient.

The University continues to be committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in all its operations. The equality and diversity work of the University has taken the issue you raised into account, for example, when we have studied the gender ratios mentioned in the equality and diversity plan (pages 15–16).

But have there been any proposed solutions? Again, this doesn’t seem sufficient- simply mentioning the problem isn’t the same as attempting to solve the problem. If the University was dedicated to promoting equality, then promoting gender equality among its student population should be included. So why would it not be?

When researching this issue, it is good to consider other aspects, for example, career progression by gender

But this doesn’t address a disparity among university students. Those are two different things. If boys TODAY are falling behind, career progression of older generations isn’t relevant.

Thank you,

Thomas