Implementation Gender Mainstreaming in Estonia

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Implementation Gender Mainstreaming in Estonia

• Anu Laas, Katri Lamesoo
• Unit of Gender Studies, UT
• Masarykova Kolej, Prague
• June 20, 2005

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Introduction

• Context Promotion of gender equality
• Equality machinery
• Implementation
• Knowledge and awareness raising
• Survey data
• Civil servants knowledge, interest, attitude
• Interviews three groups (local leader, national
  elitist, executive)
• Understanding of gender equality and GM in these
  three groups

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Key words

• Rapidly changing society
• New terms, concepts
• Post-communist, post-socialist, post-Soviet,
  former state socialist, new democracy
• Old and new member states
• Gender equality
• Gender mainstreaming

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Equality machinery

• Laws, institution
• Sex segregated data (will be a new regulation)
• Gender studies in two universities (teaching on
  BA level, research)
• Applied gender research (international projects)
• NGOs (Estonian Womens Roundtable is a member of
  the EWL since 2004)

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Gender Equality Act

• In force since May 2004
• Defines indirect and direct discrimination (also
  men with family obligation can apply if)
• Defines sexual harassment
• Applies on for relations at work
• Evidence should be presented by complainant
• One case was discussed in the Labour Inspectorate
• No one case has brought to court

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Implementation

• Maladministration (possible to complain to
  Chancellor of Justice)
• Lack of regulations in connection with Gender
  Equality Act
• Gender Equality Commissioners position opened in
  April 2005 (after one year of the act)

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Gender Equality Commissioner

• monitors compliance
• accepts applications
• provides opinions
• analyses the effect of
• makes proposals to the Gov
• advises and informs the Gov
• takes measures to promote gender equality

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Government programmes

• Funded from international agencies and
  organisations 1994-2003
• Twinning project (Saxon-Anhalt and Estonia)
• Development of Administrative Capacity of
  National Authorities in the Field of Gender
  Mainstreaming (2004-2005, Phare Twinning Project
  ES/03/IB/S(O/02
• Survey, ToT, training of 300 civil servants

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Survey data
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Public opinion about gender equality in Estonia,
in 2002,
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Survey on GM awareness in 2004,n1012 civil
servants, 28 men

• civil servants have prejudices, quite
  stereotypical views
• 75 argues that there is something to do in the
  field of gender equality
• 92 has never participated in a gender equality
  course
• 72 says that gender is not an issue in their
  work
• 60 says that this topic is uninteresting for
  me
• only 16 is ready to participate in a special
  gender course, the most of them expects a brief
  training in a frame of other courses

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Perception of words (positive)

• Justice 89
• Partnership - 81
• Equality 72
• Equal rights 71
• Equality between women and men 51
• Female politician 36
• Feminism 5
• Quotas 3

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Women in science
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Members of Academy of Science, in 2002
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Typical local leader

• Gender inequality is not a serious problem
• Gender equality affects with sameness (women are
  not any more women and men are not men)
• Gender equality policy results with loosing
  politeness (women are not any more let to enter
  the first etc)
• GM is unknown
• Status of legal framework poorly followed
• To wait for a natural and spontaneous change

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Typical national elitist

• Gender equality policy requirement is imported
  (abroad, UN, EU, Nordic Countries)
• Gender inequality is not a problem (in Estonia,
  not serious problem)
• I was never discriminated against
• /---/ but there was (discrimination)
• If a person really wants to do career, it is not
  a problem
• I want to be a woman and I do not like
  effeminate men

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Typical executive

• GM mostly known as defined by the EU
• GM term is not the best in Estonian
• There is not good suggestion for better one
• A lot of things have been done
• It is important to be careful, and to be patient
• Not to displease opinion leaders, lobbying

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Attitudes about gender roles (Estonian Social
Survey data 2004, n1987)

• Factor 1 Committed to family (15 out of all
  sample). There are no remarkable gender
  differences, among 15-24 old many supporters.
• Factor 2 Conservatives - Children to women and
  men to work (14 out of all sample). Among
  supporters more men than women, people among
  26-55, 65 are very much against this model.
• How old are decision-makers today? Conservative
  values and rigid render roles are supported

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Conclusion

• Commitment needed
• Tolerance needed
• Value change needed
• Shared values needed

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Unit of Gender Studies

• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences
• University of Tartu
• 78, Tiigi St.,
• 50410 TARTU
• ESTONIA
• e-mail anu.laas_at_ut.ee katri.lamesoo_at_ut.ee
• www.zone.ee/sociology/est