Gender Equality
Articles on gender equality in chronological order.
Gender equality: Finland improves more than any other Nordic country
Denmark moves into pole position as the Nordic Labour Journal publishes the 2020 gender equality barometer. But Finland enjoys the biggest increase of women in positions of power. The result is another shared bottom place with Sweden in the comparison between the five Nordic countries.
Three minutes less unpaid work for Swedish women
We are edging ever so slowly towards equal pay, according to the annual demonstration #lönheladagen (#payallday) which was held in Stockholm’s Sergels Torg. This year the participants made the shape of the time 16:09.
Lipsticks or bulls? Finland has changed after women came to power
There are great expectations linked to the new Finnish government. International media have celebrated Finland, the land of gender equality. Women lead the government and they are also younger than ever. Many also believe the content of politics and its execution change when women are “allowed to participate”.
Confronting sexual harassment at work in Denmark
The social partners and authorities are joining forces to confront widespread harassment in Danish workplaces, particularly sexual and gender-related behaviour which new research shows to hit far more women than men – including in politics and the IT sector.
Labour Ministers invite Nicolas Schmit to meeting
Nordic governments are joining forces to explain the Nordic labour market model to EU lawmakers. The Labour Ministers have sent a letter to the new Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, inviting him to a meeting in Copenhagen in early April to discuss the Nordic countries’ chosen priorities.
Iceland: Paternity leave a boost to men’s identity
The Nordic Gender Effect at Work is one of the Nordic prime ministers’ most important projects for the advancement of gender equality. It is considered to be an important prerequisite for a good labour market and for economic growth.
A gender change in the cleaning profession
Cleaning is about to become a male-dominated occupation. It used to be nearly exclusively women who worked the mop. Now men, especially those with an immigrant background, are taking over according to a report from the Oslo Institute for Social Research.
The multi-faceted fight against sexual harassment
This October it is two years since the American actor Alyssa Milano sent out the first tweet with the hashtag #metoo. That set off a reaction that spread from Twitter to the streets and into the corridors of power. Suddenly sexualised violence and harassment was being discussed in a new way. But what has really changed in these three years?
Angela Davis in Reykjavik: We must see the structural powers that support the violence
“If we don’t challenge the structures in society, we risk getting into a situation where we end up fighting for women’s rights to be as violent as men,” warned Angela Davis when she addressed the large #metoo conference in Reykjavik on 17-19 September.
The male role in Finland is changing
One ended up in prison for refusing to do his military service. Another did his military service and ended up working for the armed forces. Today both are on the board of the new feminist association for men, saying they have a lot to learn from the Finnish women’s movement.
Sweden to strengthen preventative work against discrimination
Many employers are not aware that they must work on active measures to promote equal rights and opportunities for their employees. So says the Swedish government, which has appointed a commissioner tasked with coming up with proposals for how to make the monitoring of the discrimination act more effective.
How have the Nordic countries reacted to #metoo?
The Nordic countries have put the questions raised by the metoo-movement high on the agenda, not only for the ministers of gender equality, but for all ministers.
ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment - an issue of Decent Work?
In an op-ed the Council of Nordic Trade Unions and the leaders of the Baltic Trade Union Confederations urge the eight Nordic and Baltic countries to quickly ratify the latest ILO-convention, often called the Metoo-convention.
Why did #metoo hit the Nordics differently?
Two years after the #metoo movement exploded in social media and became a global phenomenon, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will be hosting an international conference on the issue in Reykjavik from 17 to 19 September.
Nordic region leading by example
The most important thing the Nordics can do to contribute to the ILO is to lead by example. That was the message from the Director-General Guy Ryder during the fourth and final conference on the Future of Work, held in Reykjavik.
ILO and the Nordics: At the frontline in fight for the future of work
There was a positive atmosphere as the ILO Director-General and representatives from the Nordic ministries of labour gathered in Iceland to discuss the challenges around the future of work. The Nordic model has proved to be adaptable to rapid and major change before, and the development of new technology is something people can actually control.
Equal pay: a fight between genders or between the rich and poor?
Society treasures resources and power more than anything. If we do not deal with economic inequality we will get nowhere, said the leader of the Icelandic trade union Efling, Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, during a panel debate at the Nordic conference The Future of Work, held in Reykjavik between 4th-5th April.
Parental leave in Iceland gives dad a strong position
Since Iceland introduced nine months parental leave with three months earmarked fathers, their participation in childcare has changed radically – in a good way. Mothers return to work earlier, and get back to working ordinary hours faster. Daddy leave has been the main driver in this development.
Iceland’s equal pay standard – the employer’s best weapon?
From Reykjavík in the south to Sauðárkrókur in the north – companies across Iceland are introducing the equal pay standard which aims to eradicate gender pay gaps. But the reform also faces criticism from some who say it restricts employees’ opportunities to secure pay increases and bonuses.
Gender or general equality – what is more important?
On the 8th of March, the entire world focuses women’s rights. The NLJ’s gender equality barometer mirrors a small part of the gender balance in the Nordic region; whether there is a man or a woman in 24 positions of power. This year saw a modest increase in the number of women, but the trend is nevertheless clear. Gender equality is on the rise, even though things are moving slowly.
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