Rethinking Institutional Responses to Gender-Based Violence in Academia as Forms of Care in the Nordic Context

Abstract

This article explores institutional responses to gender-based violence (GBV) in three Nordic higher education institutions (HEIs) through the concept of institutional care processes (Tronto 2013). The care framework provides insights into the challenges and opportunities in HEIs' efforts to address GBV. The article presents three detailed case studies conducted in 2022 on the implementation of anti-GBV policies and practices in HEIs in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. By reframing institutional responses as forms of care, a gap in the care processes was identified. The care work was often driven by "driving-spirits" but lacked recognition, value, and structures for long-term capacity building. While HEIs fulfill their duty to care by identifying needs and assigning responsibility for meeting them, there was a lack of adequate working conditions in place to ensure sustainable care provision could be done.