Inclusion and gender equality
Inclusion and gender equality were two essential aspects of the project, integrated into its activities. Women are generally underrepresented in STEM( Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), leading to solutions that overlook their perspectives. The project, as best we could, applied norm-critical reflections to the proposed solutions. In practice, this meant examining specific grounds of discrimination, such as gender, ethnicity, age, and disability. A normcritical analysis involves questioning what is considered‘ normal,’ what is taken for granted, and the values that are applied. In practice, it is straightforward yet mentally challenging because it forces you to confront your own assumptions.
Involving both women and men in designing the activities has positively influenced how the activities address various problematic situations experienced by both genders. The project’ s areas, including tourism, reindeer herding, music production, the public sector, and various SMEs, have created a broad base to support both women and men with sustainable solutions. The design of the solutions has therefore considered both women and men, and this approach might not have been possible if we had focused solely on the technology industry. Companies have been openly invited to participate in the project activities, and previously established collaborations have also shown interest in contributing.
Inclusion and equality have also influenced the project’ s external communication. We have, as much as possible, avoided excessive technical jargon in popular science formats, making our communication inclusive for people both within and outside the tech field. The project ' s videos feature both women and men, including the informative SDG videos that also provide insights into selected case studies. We have not followed up on the external communication, so we cannot confirm that it has reached both women and men, but we have, to the best of our ability, tried to reach them both.
One example of addressing disabilities was a case study at the Heritage Center Wanha Woima in Finland, where advanced 3D visualization provided digital access to the site for wheelchair users.