Nordic Cooperation for Gender Equality

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Nordic Cooperation for Gender Equality

• The Nordic Council of Ministers
• Senior Advisor Petra Sjöström

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Nordic Council of Ministers

• Founded in 1971.
• Formal framework for Nordic governmental
  co-operation.
• 5 countries and 3 autonomous regions.
• Not one but several councils.
• Secretariat located in Copenhagen with
  information offices in Estonia, Latvia,
  Lithuania, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

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Nordic Council of Ministers

• The purpose of inter-governmental co-operation in
  the Nordic Council of Ministers is to work toward
  joint Nordic solutions that have tangible
  positive effects Nordic synergies for the
  citizens of the individual Nordic countries.

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Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality

• Starting point in 1974.
• Minister for Gender Equality of the Nordic
  countries and autonomous regions.
• Annual meetings between which the Nordic
  Committee of senior officials for gender
  equality which co-ordinates the day-to-day work
  of the co-operation.
• Co-operation body NIKK (www.nikk.no) placed at
  the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research in
  Gothenburg to gather and disseminate information
  on policy and practice, facts and research in the
  area of gender equality.

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Basis for co-operation

• Common democratic traditions and history.
• Exchange of experience, benefit form each others
  expertise and to conduct political debates in
  order to develop the content of the work and to
  achieve a greater understanding of gender
  equality.
• The Nordic synergy criterion.

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Gender Equality

• Power and influence distributed equally.
• The same rights, duties, and opportunities in all
  areas of society and all phases of life.
• A society free from all types of gender-related
  violence and other forms of discrimination.
• Sustainable and more just societies.
• Increases opportunities to generate economic
  growth and guarantee welfare.

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Vision for the co-operation

• To serve as a model for others at an
  international level, showing how the Nordic
  Region is responding to the challenges of
  globalisation by implementing a gender-equality
  policy that will ensure a sustainable society in
  the future.

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Gender Equality in the Nordic countries

• Scores high in international rankings
• - The Global Gender Gap Index 2012 by World
  Economic Forum (position 1-4 and 7).
• - Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2011 by UN
  (position 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9).
• - Gender Equality Index 2013 by EIGE (position
  1, 2 and 3).
• Common advantages and challenges.

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Current priorities common challenges

• Equality on the labour market.
• Equality in education.
• Gender, ethnicity and equality.
• Zero tolerance for gender related violence.

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Cross-cutting themes prerequisite for change

• Involvement of men and boys.
• Gender Mainstreaming.

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Future priorities

• New co-operation programme from 2014.
• First discussion on new priorities autumn 2013.

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• For more information
• Petra Sjöström, pesj_at_norden.org.