Women forestry professionals meaning making of gender and gender equality

In this paper we explore meaning makings of gender equality in forestry by drawing on a national survey of all women with an academic forestry education in Sweden. We analyse two open-ended questions concerning their experiences of being a woman in forestry and how gender equality in forestry could be improved. The aim is to investigate how these narratives construct norms and notions of "gender equality" in relation to forestry. We identify three dominant logics where gender equality is constructed: 1, in relation to women and concerning numerical representation. 2, as gendered power relations and organisational norms and culture. 3, as something distant from themself by emphasising that their position in the industry is motivated by competence rather than gender. While issues of gender equality has climbed the agenda of the men dominated Swedish forestry, little is known about how these initiatives are being received and understood among men and women working in forestry. On-going research on men forestry professional indicates that "being on of the lads" still constitutes a ticket into the masculine community of forestry, and by here focusing on women forestry professionals meaning making of gender and gender equality interventions at work, this study adds to critical studies of gender equality.Godkänd; 2015; 20151016 (maojoh