The case in summary Márjá-Liissá Partapuoli (34) believes that male dominance is the cause of conflicts and a culture of fear in the Tanavassdragets fish management (TF). A female employee in TF was dismissed after reporting sexual harassment, which has contributed to a culture of fear and sanctions in the local community, Partapuoli believes. Partapuoli believes that more women in management can help solve the problems and create a better cooperative climate. Researcher Erika Berle supports Partapuoli’s statement and refers to research that indicates that more women on boards can contribute to broader discussions and better decision-making. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – People I meet in Tana say it is good that I speak out about the conditions. But at the same time, they also say that they themselves do not want to say anything for fear of what might happen. Our entire small society is characterized by the culture of fear that has been created, says the 34-year-old to news. She is convinced that it is male dominance that is the cause of the unrest and noise in the Tanavassdraget’s fisheries management (TF). Loga sámegillii news told about the situation in TF this autumn. Deep conflicts characterize the organization. Understands the fear On Monday last week, news told about a female employee of TF who was dismissed just hours after the management had received notice of sexual harassment. Partapuoli says she was angry when she first heard about the case. She knows the whistleblower. – With the culture that is there, it was not surprising that it could happen. But the way TF has handled the notification surprised me, she says to news. Gøran Møller Christiansen at GMC & Bache-Wiig Advokatfirma represents the woman. He expressed that his client is afraid of some of the people in TF. Márjá-Liissá Partapuoli tells news that she understands the fear the woman feels. – It is tough when those who are your employer, and who are supposed to take care of you, are the ones who step on you in various ways. And at the same time we know how the conditions in society are here, with the culture of sanctions that has been created because of what is happening in TF, she says. Márjá-Liissá Partapuoli is a salmon fisherman from Tana. Photo: Håkon Mudenia / news Chairman Kjell Olav Guttorm of TF tells news that he cannot comment on the statements that the woman who reported is afraid of what TF can do to her. – At such a level of detail, it is confidential, he says. Culture of silence in the workplace: Many people fail to report. Mayor gets questions Mayor Jon Erland Balto (Sp) believes that the situation in TF weakens Tana’s reputation. He largely agrees with Márjá-Liissá Partapuoli that there is a kind of culture of fear because of this. – When people who speak out about objectionable circumstances are dismissed, you can say that it is such a culture, says Balto to news. He says that he constantly gets questions when he is travelling. – What is happening with you in Tana, many ask. What I can answer is that there are cooperation difficulties and disagreements, but I don’t know more than what comes out in the media, he says. Can boardrooms be filled by mothers, sisters and daughters? Mayor Jon Erland Balto in Tana. Photo: Ingrid Elise Trosten / news Tana municipality has elected two permanent members and two deputies to the TF board. Three of these have resigned. – We get to choose new ones if we find people who can bear to join the board, says Balto. Dan Robert Larsen Norway’s most important salmon river The Tana River is Norway’s largest salmon river, with a total of 1100 km of salmon-bearing waterways. Historically speaking, it is the salmon in the river that is the very reason why people settled in Tanadalen. The large amount of salmon has led to a distinctive culture in Tanadalen , where the salmon is at the center. Ksenia Novikova / news Fewer salmonFour years ago, the Ministry of Climate and the Environment decided that the Tanaelva should be closed to all salmon fishing. Many fear that the river Sami culture will die out as a result of not being able to practice the culture in the closed river. It was because over several years counts had shown that there were only fewer and fewer salmon in the river. Several opinions There are many opinions about what is the reason for the decline. Climate change, overfishing, farmed salmon in the lake, seals and other predators are highlighted as possible reasons for the decline in the number of salmon. Allan Klo What does the salmon management do when the river is closed? The Tana River’s fish management supervises the river. That is to say, they employ people who make sure that the fishing rules are observed, and that salmon is not poached. – Must bring in more women Márjá-Liissá Partapuoli already stood up this spring against male dominance. It happened when board representatives for the net fishermen were to be elected in April. Although several women were defeated, only men were elected to the TF board. – That women cannot participate in the management of natural resources is an old-fashioned attitude, she says. The 34-year-old has the right to fish for salmon in the Tanaelva with both net and rod. She has also been a deputy member of the TF board in the period 2019-2023. Now she believes that it is high time that women were allowed to manage TF. – I think that women on the board had contributed to a climate that meant that the conversations and communication had taken place in a proper way. – Better equality had cleared things up, and it has also been shown that boards with a good gender balance handle cases in a fair way, says Partapuoli. In many boards and councils, the gender balance is skewed: the Council of Elders is earmarked for men. – Not part of a “boys’ club” Researcher Erika Berle supports this statement of Partapuoli. – What she says can be partially defended in research. Women and men emphasize different issues and have different perspectives, she says. Together with researchers from the University of Stavanger and Edgwood College in the USA, Erika Berle has investigated the effect of more women on boards. Researcher Erika Berle. One of the findings in the study was that the discussions changed with the distribution of men and women. When there was greater gender balance, they recorded both that each individual member spoke more and that more topics were discussed. Berle explains that a board has a controlling function – which is also called monitoring – because it has a responsibility to ensure that the company’s interests are safeguarded. – The fact that women address more relevant topics, ensures wider participation from board members, and thus a wider basis for discussion before decisions are made, indicates that a higher proportion of women contributes to this improving the desired monitoring. – A basic idea about why women are thus suitable for monitoring or controlling is that they are not part of a boys’ club and will thus contribute to increasing the board’s monitoring qualities, she says to news. The researcher says that it suggests that female representation leads to wider involvement. – There are also interviews with board members who highlight that the dynamic is different with women present, but that it is difficult to put one’s finger on exactly why, says Erika Berle. How is society affected by more women in management? Published 28.10.2024, at 12.21
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Thinks women can sort out the salmon row in Tana – news Sápmi
