Quotas for men in university: breaking the stereotype in European Union law and Swedish law

Abstract

This thesis approaches the issue of quotas for the under-represented sex in higher education. The focus is mostly legal but it will also include a sociological point of view. The first part of the study will approach this issue from an International Human Rights perspective, in what concerns the right to higher education and gender equality. The second part of the study will approach gender equality in higher education from a European Union Law perspective. The third part of the study will take the Swedish experience regarding quotas for the under-represented sex in university as an example in order to illustrate the results of the application of these positive action measures. Moreover, this part of the thesis will analogically apply the principles presented in the first part of the study, in order to illustrate the ways in which Sweden can be considered to be “opting-out” of its human rights obligations. In its conclusion, this thesis will approach the “gendering” of men in today's societies, and relate it to the trend for their underachievement on an academic level, in order to contribute to break a stereotypical view that does not see men as a “vulnerable group” in the area of higher education. Ultimately, this thesis will attempt to answer whether or not men are being discriminated by the law and by society, in what concerns their educational opportunities.