Gender Discrimination in the Promised Land of Gender Equality

For many years, Finland has been known as a country that promotes gender equality in all walks of life, particularly in the domain of higher education. Yet here, too, women academics encounter the glass ceiling and subtle forms of gender discrimination. In particular, the author cites the practice of filling professorships by invitation rather than by open competition as one that discriminates against women. It seems that the Finnish gender equality law of 1987, although certainly well intentioned, fails to provide for appropriate sanctions for poor compliance.