Nordic Region
Feminists, but also masculinists
The Nordic region has cooperated on gender equality for 40 years. It has been of great importance for equality’s progress and has improved the lives of Nordic citizens, said Eygló Harðardóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Equality during the anniversary celebrations in Iceland on 26 August. Where is the debate today? Is there a need for a new equality narrative?
Iceland back on an even keel
Iceland is bouncing back after the hard years following the 2008 crisis. We tell the story of what happened that day, how Icelanders joined forces to stop anyone from going hungry and to stop youths from becoming social outsiders. Now unemployment is falling nearly as fast as it rose. As the economy improves Icelanders want a better life; more pay and more gender equality.
Look to Iceland
“Look how well the Icelanders have recovered from the crisis, “ says Christian Kastrop, Director at the OECD. And we will; our theme this time is Iceland’s transformation since the crisis hit in 2008. We also follow the report on the Nordic model, first launched in Reykjavik, to the OECD’s Paris headquarters.
Celebrating 60 years with a borderless labour market
The agreement on a common Nordic labour market was signed on 22 May 1954. The Nordic Labour Journal hears six stories representing each of the six decades of borderless Nordic cooperation. They provide unique snapshots of time. These are tales of searching for a better existence and of the opportunities resulting from the Nordic countries' comprehensive cooperation.
“Sweden was somewhere you could make money”
Early autumn 1954, and Gösta Helsing is 17, one of nine siblings living at home in a small village in Vörå in Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia. Post-war Finland is poor from paying reparations to Russia and there are few jobs. The small farm cannot sustain all nine siblings. Many neighbours, friends and relatives are moving to Sweden.
Kaj Leo Johannesen: The Faroe Islands’ challenge is to keep hold of its youths
Since 28 August the Faroe Islands have been boycotted by the EU and Norway because of a dispute over North Atlantic herring and mackerel. Faroese vessels are banned from landing these two species in the EU, Prime Minister Kaj Leo Johannesen tells the Nordic Labour Journal.
The 2014 Icelandic Presidency: focus on masculinity
Iceland takes over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers from next year, during which time the Council will focus on labour market issues, men and masculinity as well as ways of removing border obstacles between the Nordic countries.
“Part time is about money, culture and morals”
There is an intensive debate on part time work in all of the Nordic countries. But this goes further than women choosing to work part time for certain periods. If gender equality is the goal, should women take on more full time work or should men work more part time?
Sture Fjäder challenges Finland’s trade union culture
Strengthening the Nordics as an economic region, cutting income tax, reviewing the priorities of the welfare state – these are just a few of the issues on union boss Sture Fjäder’s agenda for Finland and the Nordic region.
Dagfinn Høybråten’s new Nordic project: health cooperation
Much tighter cooperation between Nordic health services is in the pipeline and if it succeeds the cooperation model can easily be expanded to include other policy areas which would help develop the Nordic welfare model. That’s the vision of the project’s chief architect, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten.
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