Editorial
Gender equality in the Nordic region – where are we?
Feb 26, 2025 We have been writing about gender equality for decades. Boring? Absolutely not, because it is as relevant as ever. This year, the Nordic Labour Journal’s gender equality barometer shows the road to a gender-equal Nordic region is long. But this is about more than statistics and barometers – it is about individuals’ opportunities and choices.
Gender equality barometer 2025
Feb 26, 2025 Gender equality in the top positions of power in the Nordic region in 2025 remains at a low level in NLJ’s gender equality barometer. Women get 68 points – 100 points mean full equality. But it would be even worse if Iceland did not for the first time in history elect both a female prime minister and a female president.
Iceland: Equality must be fought in every sector
Feb 26, 2025 In Iceland, women are now in a majority in the government coalition, and all three government party leaders are women. Many women also hold major public positions. In general, Iceland is considered one of the most gender-equal countries in the world. Yet despite the good progress, experts say that in many areas, Iceland is a long way from reaching equality.
12 recommendations to get more people in vulnerable groups into working life
Feb 26, 2025 The need to increase labour market participation among vulnerable groups in the Nordics has long been high on the Nordic Council of Ministers’ agenda. A new report points to flexibility, individually tailored support and cooperation with employers as the key to success. NAV employees in Trondheim are already on the ball.
Boyhood researcher: "We need to exercise our reading muscle"
Feb 26, 2025 There is still work to be done to make Finnish schools more gender equal. An ambitious gender equality programme is needed, believes the Finnish boyhood researcher Harry Lunabba. Both boys and girls would benefit from it. Falling PISA literacy scores can have long-term consequences for pupils.
Sweden: Gender gap widens in education, economically and politically
Feb 26, 2025 Women are significantly more represented in higher education, especially in rural areas - a trend that is repeated in all Nordic countries. It has given many women a better life with higher employment levels and wages. However, the development also shows that men are falling behind.
Nordic maritime sector sets sail towards greater gender equality
Feb 26, 2025 Men still dominate the maritime industry. In certain onboard professions, women are almost absent. Creating a secure working environment for everyone, regardless of gender, is crucial to make the industry more equal, argue the initiators of the Nordic REDO Lookout project.
Nordic police cooperation – from policy to reality
Feb 26, 2025 Criminal networks operate where there is money, across borders. A new police station on the actual border between Norway and Sweden will soon be inaugurated, and in Malmö, there is an operations centre staffed by both Danish and Swedish police.
Editorial
Do we listen enough to young voices?
Jan 30, 2025 What is it like to be young in the Nordic region today? We tell the story of young people on their way into working life and the story of some who need help to find their place in the community. Measures aimed at children and young people are high on the political agenda.
Finland’s Minister of Cooperation: Put young people first in difficult times
Jan 30, 2025 A father of five children, young people and education are among Minister of Cooperation Anders Adlercreutz’s areas of expertise. These are also among the focus areas for the Nordic countries in the coming year.
Karen Ellemann: Nordic cooperation more important than ever
Jan 30, 2025 The Arctic has gone from being a region characterised by peaceful cooperation to a geopolitical flashpoint. This week, the Nordic Council of Ministers launched its tenth Arctic programme during the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø. It allocates 30 million Danish kroner (€4m) over three years to strengthen social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Swedish Emilia got a job thanks to Youth Power 2.0
Jan 30, 2025 Despite a growing business sector, many young people were long-term unemployed in Åstorp in southern Sweden in the spring of 2024. Now, new job opportunities have been created through building relations with both private and municipal employers. The motto is: Everyone must get a chance.
Nordic youth on what is needed to give them faith in the future
Jan 30, 2025 Many young people in the Nordics have a dim view of the future. Some struggle with mental health, remain outside education and work, and many worry a lot about their own generation. The Nordic Labour Journal has asked what they think is needed to create a brighter future.
Why Swedish countryside youths are ahead in the labour market
Jan 30, 2025 In Sweden, fewer young people from the countryside go on to university or other higher education compared with city youths. Yet more young people in rural areas – and especially men – start working earlier than their peers in towns and metropolitan areas. Many also work while studying.
The Nordics lag behind in the fight against economic crime
Jan 30, 2025 Economic crime is a threat to the Nordic welfare societies, warned this year’s conference on the black economy. The fight against creative and innovative criminals needs more resources and better legislation, the trade union movement argues.
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