Nordic ministers and experts on gender equality gathered in the southern Finnish city of Vantaa on Wednesday for the annual Gender Equality Days, marking the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark United Nations (UN) framework for advancing women's rights, reported Xinhua.
Finnish Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen said at the opening that the Beijing Declaration created a global vision for a peaceful and sustainable world, adding that further efforts are needed to reach that goal.
Grahn-Laasonen noted that 189 countries signed the declaration at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, which continues to underpin gender equality policies worldwide. She cited the "Beijing plus 30" report by UN Women, which shows that nearly 90 percent of countries have made legislative amendments to advance equality.
Grahn-Laasonen warned, however, that progress should not be taken for granted, saying that multilateral negotiations on gender equality have become increasingly difficult and that some countries are seeking to dilute shared goals and reduce funding.
She said the five Nordic countries will act as a counterforce to such trends and continue their efforts to promote gender equality.
At a panel discussion titled "Navigating the Next 30 Years" on Wednesday, Nordic representatives shared perspectives on progress and challenges.
Katarina Lundahl, state secretary to Swedish Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson, emphasized the importance of women's participation in the labor market, saying it gives women economic power and promotes balance at home through shared responsibility for children.
Norwegian expert Are Saastad, director of Reform – Resource Centre for Men, echoed Lundahl's remarks, saying that a return to the old idea of men as sole breadwinners would undo three decades of progress. He added that society as a whole would suffer if fewer women participated in the labor force.
Kira Appel, director of international affairs at the Danish Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality, described the global women's rights movement as one of the largest social movements the world has ever seen and one that was able to change society.
Saastad also called for greater attention to the challenges faced by boys and young men, saying that feelings of exclusion could make them vulnerable to extremist ideologies and that they should be supported to better understand gender equality.
The two-day event, held on Oct. 8-9, brings together more than 200 gender equality actors from across the Nordic region. The annual Gender Equality Days, Finland's main event in the field, this year serves as a Nordic platform for cooperation as part of Finland's Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Adopted at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action set out a comprehensive agenda for achieving gender equality and empowering women worldwide.
It identified 12 critical areas of concern – from education, health and economic participation to political representation and violence against women – and has since served as a global framework guiding national and international policies on gender equality.
- Nordic
- Ministers
- Finland
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
