FIG Task Force on Under-Represented Groups in Surveying
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TASK FORCE ON UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS IN SURVEYING ContentsSET Mentoring Programme 1999-2000 - Evaluation Report, University of Edinburgh, UK Personalities: Kari Strande, Norway Final Task Force Report SET Mentoring Programme
1999-2000
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Kari Strande is international adviser by Statens kartverk (Norwegian Mapping Authority) in Norway. She is educated in surveying and land use planning / land consolidation at the University of Agriculture at Ås. |
She started her career in the Ministry of Environment working with outdoor recreation issues, especially in making areas along the coastline available to the public. Here the subjects of property law, valuation and use of maps were helpful skills. After one year in the Ministry she complemented her studies in planning issues at the University of Architecture in Oslo and in law on special subject expropriation and valuation at the University of Oslo.
In 1976 she was asked to carry out a project to collect materials and edit a book on mapping and use of maps. The project had the objectives of creating a book in Cartography that could be easily read both by students in surveying and mapping issues, politicians and planners. Both German and English literature where searched and all the Geographic and survey institutions and organisations in Norway contributed to the project that finalised in a book published in 1981 and up-dated in 1986. It was used in technical schools, colleges and universities up to 2000. Now it is outdated, but there is still a need for such materials, may be now more addressed to teachers in primary and secondary schools.
In the period 1976 to 1986 she was working as planner and manager at municipal and regional level and was really a user herself of Geographic Information. In this period she was also engaged in boards of various organisations such as Norwegian Association of Cartography, Geodesy and Hydrography, Norwegian Association of Chartered Surveyors, Norwegian Mapping Council and Norwegian Orienteering Federation. She was also member of a Nordic Group in District Development and member of a Governmental working group preparing the New Act of Planning which came into force in 1986.
In the period 1980 - 1981 she participated in the 10 weeks courses in Society Planning organised by the Ministry of Environment and broadened her network. In 1992 -1993 she attended a programme in management organised by a specialised institute in Northern Norway. The courses here were based on a more including and participatory management philosophy than the more economic management trends.
In the period 1986 -1994 she was engaged as director of the Land Mapping Division in Statens kartverk (Norwegian Mapping Authority). This was a period with big changes and challenges in the field of Geographic Information and this also demanded changes and new organisational structure of the leading institution in this field in Norway. In this period Statens kartverk and Kari was engaged in promoting women to take part in the surveying and mapping field. She also was a mentor for two girls in her institution in a governmental program for training future female managers. In this period she was engaged in several boards by various institutions like Gjøvik College in engineering, nursing and forestry, Norwegian Space Agency, The Geological Survey of Norway and Norwegian Soil and Forestry Survey.
In 1995 Kari left her management occupation and went into a new role as international and strategic adviser to the Director General. This opened for new contacts all over the world and engagement both in Nordic, European and Global organisations like EUROGI, EuroGeographics and FIG.
Kari is Norwegian delegate to Commission 3 in FIG and her primary concern is dissemination of understanding of the Value for Society by use of Geographic Information and GIS. She has presented papers at various FIG conferences on the issues of Norwegian policy on spatial data infrastructure, GI-Value for Society and Area management systems.
In private Kari is engaged in sport and outdoor activities, mainly Orienteering where she both compete and participate in the management at several levels. She is fond of music and used to sing in quires and participate in various entertainment activities before she moved to Hønefoss. In respectively 1992 and 1994 she and her husband adopted two children from Vietnam and Kari has also established contacts with colleges in Vietnam. Now she is preparing an exchange programme between Norway, Vietnam and Laos in the surveying and land administration field. The programme is established for people at the age between 22 and 35.
The work of FIG depends on a relatively small number of surveyors considering the fact that FIG represents about 230,000 persons in the surveying profession. These international active survey-ors are an ageing and overbalancing male population. The number of young men and women engaged in the work of FIG is of concern. And there is also a lack of participants from associations (countries) which are financially less strong.
The Task Force on Under-represented Groups in Surveying was established in 1996 to encourage women and young surveyors to participate in national associations and FIG and specifically to consider and bring forward recommendations for
enhancing professional development opportunities for women and young surveyors
encouraging equal opportunities for individual members within FIG, not depending on gender or native language or other cultural characteristics
facilitating professional contacts for women and young surveyors, as well as for linguistic minorities, within the FIG community.
The time span of this Task Force is limited and will end in 2002 with the FIG Congress in Washington.
The Task Force mainly focussed its work on the major under-represented groups in FIG: women and young professionals. We do not know how many women work in all fields of the Surveying profession or have an education in Surveying and we do not know how many young professionals will come into the profession. To get more information the Task Force sent out two questionnaires to FIG member associations and to universities in 1998. From 73 member associations answered 15 (21 %) and from 204 universities 45 (22 %). All results can be found on the FIG homepage (http://www.fig.net/figtree/tf/underrep/tfunrep.htm ).
Together with the answers to the questionnaire member associations and universities reported about several activities concerning under-represented groups. This was the starting point to establish a Newsletter. The quarterly Newsletter gave background information concerning national associations, international organisations, universities, "Women's Access to Land", congresses, scientific research and political decisions. Every issue presents one female personality of the surveying profession. The last issue will come out in March 2002. All newsletters are as well available on the FIG homepage. Many thanks to Markku Villikka for his excellent job publishing all editions of the newsletters and supporting the Task Forces' activities.
Following reports were published
1. Concerning Associations
Fifteen Years of Affirmative Action in the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping by Wendy J. Woodbury Straight, USA
10th Anniversary of the DVW Working Group "Women in Surveying" by Gabriele Dasse
American Congress on Surveying and Mapping/National Society of Professional Surveyors Forum for Equal Opportunity sets goals for 2001 by Gail Oliver, USA
ICEFLOE - The Equal Opportunities Forum of the Institution of Civil Engineers by Michelle McDowell
2. International organisations
FIABCI Young Members Group, by Alexander Benedetti, Italy
Gender in the Habitat Agenda: implications for the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) by Diana Lee-Smith and Sylvie Lacroux, UNCHS (Habitat)
Women's Rights to Land, Housing and Property in Post-Conflict Situations and During Construction: Press Announcement by Habitat
Past - Present and Future of the ICA Commission on "Gender and Cartography" by Ewa Krzywicka-Blum and Eva Siekierska
Task Force Activities during the FIG Working Week 2001 in Seoul, Korea by Gabriele Dasse, Task Force Chair
3. Universities
Equal Oppotunity Prize 1997, School of Spatial Sciences by Professor Graham D Lodwick, Australia
Encouraging Girls and Young Women to Choose a Technical Career by Dr. Renate Kosuch, Germany
Women in Science and Engineering Activities in Canada by Dr. Elizabeth Cannon
The Everyday Occupational Life in Natural Sciences and Engineering - A gender-related study on inner conflicts and how men and women try to solve them by Dr. Renate Kosuch
Engineering Education: for Ourselves and for the Public by Wendy J. Woodbury Straight, USA
University to boost Engineering among American Indians by Wendy J. Woodbury Straight
Reflections to increase the Participation of Women in Surveying Studies by Gabriele Dasse, Germany
Affirmative Action: Focus on College Admissions by Joanne L. Schweik
4. "Women's Access to Land"
Women's Access to Land - a Task Force Group of FIG Commission 7, by Agneta Ericsson, Sweden
Women's Access to Land - Experiences from Land Administration Projects - by Agneta Ericsson, Sweden
Women's Access, Control and Tenure of Land, Property and Settlement - some Obstacles and practical Advice by Ewa Qvist, Sweden
Women's Access to Land - FIG Guidelines
5. Congresses
The World Conference on Science
6. Scientific Research
Research Activities in UK by Dr. Clara Greed
Women and Science: some facts, some impressions, by Marysa Demoor, Belgium
Ethnic Minorities in Construction in Britain: Exclusion or Inclusion by Clara H. Greed, UK
Raising the Ratio
Land Tenure Perspectives of Ester Boserup's Works by Karin Haldrup
7. Political Decisions
Resolution on Women and Science by the European Parliament
Following Personalities were published
Gabriele Dasse, Germany
Alison Cochlovius Gouws, South Africa
Agneta Ericsson, Sweden
Kirsi Artimo, Finland
Mary C. Feindt, USA
Chryssy Alex. Potsiou, Greece
Gerda Schennach, Austria
Wendy J. Woodbury Straight, USA
Jenny Whittal, South Africa
Marie Christine Robidoux, Canada
Bodil Dahl Ekner, Denmark
Dr. Clara Greed, UK
Natalia Filippovich, Belarus
Meetings and Presentations
During the FIG Congresses and Working Weeks the Task Force organised at least one meeting or session. The highlight of the Task Forces' activities will be two joint sessions with six presentation concerning gender aspects during the Washington Congress:
FIG Congress in Brighton, UK
Women in surveying - the long way to acceptance by Gabriele Dasse, Germany
FIG Working Week in Sun City, South Africa
The Surveying Industry in South Africa by Jenny Whittall
Gender Aspects in Programmes of the European Union
FIG Working Week in Prague, Czech Republic
The Security of Tenure in post-conflict Situations by Dr. Sylvie Lacroux
Under-represented Groups in Urban Development Issues Including in the Professional Practice by Dr. Sylvie Lacroux
FIG Working Week in Seoul, Korea
Which Changes in the Curricula do we need to attract more Women to study Surveying? by Gabriele Dasse, Germany
FIG Congress in Washington, USA
Wednesday, 24 April 2002, 14.00-15.30
JS11 The Modern Profile of Surveyors - Gender Aspects I
Joint Session of Commissions 1 and 2 and Task Force on Under-represented
Groups in Survey-ing and ACSM/NSPS Forum for Equal Opportunity
Chair: Gail Oliver, Chair of the ACSM/NSPS Forum for Equal
Opportunity, USA
Gerda Schennach, Austria: Challenges for Women in a Changing Profession
Gabriele Dasse, Germany: Wanted: Women Engineers
Wendy J. Woodbury Straight, USA: Advantages and Reflections: Efforts to include women in United States surveying and mapping, 1981-2001
Karin Haldrup, Denmark: Mainstreaming Gender Issues in Land Administration
Wednesday, 24 April 2002, 16.00-17.30
JS16 The Modern Profile of Surveyors - Gender Aspects II
Joint Session of Commissions 1 and 2 and Task force on Under-represented
Groups in Surveying and ACSM/NSPS Forum for Equal Opportunity
Chair: Gabriele Dasse, Chair of FIG Task Force, Germany
Boo Lilje, Sweden: Why Are Young Women Attracted to Survey Education in Sweden
Pat Turrell, Sara J. Wilkinson, Vanessa Astle and Samantha Yeo, UK: A Gender for Change: The Future for Women in Surveying
General discussion on the Under-represented Groups in Surveying
Networking
The Task Force has been building up a network with 56 members (71 % women) at the moment. Many contacts to colleagues and the exchange of experiences motivate to get in contact with FIG.
Using Internet and mailing opportunities the contact to other gender working groups in national and international associations (e.g. Commission on Gender and Cartography of the International Cartographic Association ICA; ICEFloe Equal Opportunities Forum of the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK; Forum for Equal Opportunity of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) has been established.
The co-operation with the FIG Commissions 1 and 2 were excellent. John Parker and Kirsi Virrantaus, the Chairs of both Commissions, participated at all Task Force meetings and brought the Task Force activities forward.
Four articles of the Task Force Group of FIG Commission 7 „Women's Access to Land" were published in the Task Force Newsletter giving the opportunity of a broader discussion and facilitating the implementation of the proposals.
The contacts between the Task force on under-represented groups in surveying and UNCHS Habitat were intensified at the FIG Working Week in Prague. Dr. Sylvie Lacroux from Habitat gave two very interesting and informative presentations during the week. Her first presentation "The Security of Tenure in post-conflict Situations" was given at the technical session "Co-operation with International Bodies and Organisations". The second paper "Under-represented Groups in Urban Development Issues Including in the Professional Practice" prepared by Dr. Sylvie Lacroux, Diana Lee-Smith and Catalina Trujillo was presented at the first meeting of the Task force. The discussion that followed her presentation gave a deep insight into the activities of Habitat.
Proposals
The Task Force made the following proposals:
1. to encourage the Hosts of Congresses and Working Weeks
to fix a lower fee for students,
to enable the attendance of 20 students, like in Brighton or Melbourne, to assist the organisers,
to evaluate the participants concerning gender, age and Commissions,
to mark the name tags of participants attending the first time a Congress or Working Week, to facilitate an integration,
to provide meeting points with tea and coffee or lunch.
The proposals concerning Commissions work were as follows:
To enable several Commission meetings or workshops during a Congress (or Congress of a Working Week) if asked-for, also after the presentation of papers. This would enable discussions in Commission meetings afterwards,
to integrate all Commission meetings into the Congress or to make the General Assembly a part of the Congress,
to have only one registration fee for the Congress and the General Assembly to facilitate the attendance of Commission delegates to the General Assembly,
to announce all Commission meetings in the program and
to announce them as open meetings for all Congress participants.
2. to encourage the Member Associations
to report about the activities of FIG in their publications,
to support the attendance of young professionals and students at FIG Congresses or Working Weeks and at national congresses,
to enable practical work for foreign students and young professionals,
to increase the amount of student members.
3. to encourage the Commissions
to support corresponding members, to inform them (topical homepages) and to facilitate the attendance of commission meetings.
4. to encourage the General Assembly
to think about regional FIG meetings to facilitate the attendance of students and young professionals
that there should be at least one woman in all FIG Nominations Review Committees.
FIG Congress in Washington, DC
On behalf of the FIG Task Force on Under-represented Groups in Surveying an e-mail was distributed by Markku Villikka, Director of the FIG Office, to Member Associations, Affiliates, Academic Members, Corporate Members, Correspondents, Council Members, Officers of Commissions and Permanent Institutions, Honorary Presidents and Honorary Members to ask for assistance to support and encourage the Under-represented Groups in Surveying to attend the FIG Congress 2002 in Washington, DC and to give presentations.
Many thanks to the Congress organisers, especially the Congress Director Mary Clawson for fixing a special low registration fee for students and also a lower registration fee for speakers. And the Washington Congress will be the first FIG event to get information about the participants concerning commissions, gender, age and first attendance.
Future Aspects
The Task Force on Under-represented Groups gave a lot of recommendations and made a lot of proposals.
Excellent is that a
Working Group of Commission 1 will be established which could continue with publishing Best Practices and
FIG forum for under-represented groups will be established to continue with networking.
Following recommendations should be carried out by the FIG bodies:
the involvement of under-represented groups in all activities,
the implementation of gender mainstreaming in FIG's work,
the survey of the Washington Congress registration and the registration of the following FIG Working Weeks.
Gabriele Dasse, Task Force Chair
22 February 2002
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Editor: Chair of the Task Force on Under-represented Groups in
Surveying 1/02, month of issue: March © Copyright 2002 Gabriele Dasse. |
