For more than 30 years Nordic co-operation has worked to improve equality between the sexes. The vision for the work with Nordic gender equality is that it will be the best in the world and a model for other countries. It should be a matter of course that men and women in the Nordic region have equal opportunities and be treated equally at all levels in society.

Nordic co-operation on gender equality is guided by an 4-year co-operation programme (for 2011-2014 Gender Equality Creates Sustainable Societies). Mainstreaming of the gender and equality perspective and active participation by men and boys are the priorities outlined in Gender Equality Creates Sustainable Societies.

During 2010 a new 4-year co-operation document will be drawn up.

The multi-year programme is usually supplemented by a sector programme and a more detailed annual action plan.

What is equality?

Equality entails the equal distribution of power, care and influence. It means women and men having equal rights, duties and opportunities in all spheres of life, and it means a society free from gender-related violence. Respect, equality, understanding, identity and quality of life are the basic values that underpin gender equality.

In practice, this means, for example, that Nordic women and men have the right to equal pay for equal work, and both women and men have the opportunity to combine paid work with parenting. Women, men and children must not be exposed to violence in the home. Girls are able to opt for the traditional “boys' subjects” at school, and boys can choose “girls' subjects”.

The inhabitants of the Nordic countries and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland all have different backgrounds in terms of social conditions, ethnicity, religion, etc. One of challenges facing gender-equality work in the Region is therefore to make provision for that diversity, and include all groups in decision-making processes and in the public debate that shapes policy on the subject.

Gender-equality policy is a process characterised by continuous change, and a gender-equality perspective is being integrated into more and more new areas of society. The integration of gender equality into the climate debate will be one of the important themes of the next few years. Women and men impact the climate in different ways, and climate change will affect them differently, so gender equality has to be part of the climate debate.

Why co-operate?

Gender equality is a key part of the Nordic identity, and co-operation in this area is based on shared traditions. Although gender-equality policy varies in the different countries, the Nordic countries and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland have many characteristics in common and face similar issues. This makes it easy for us to learn from each others' experiences, hold political discussions and determine which strategies are the most effective in order to achieve common objectives.

Since the 1960s, the establishment of the Nordic welfare states and legislation on gender equality have meant that met many of the objectives of gender-equality work have been achieved. However, important challenges remain.

For example, the labour market and the education sector are still divided along gender lines; management positions remain dominated by men; and even though men now play their part in childcare and housework to a greater extent than ever before, women are still responsible for most of the domestic duties. Two serious problems that have not yet been resolved in the Nordic Region are trafficking for prostitution and violence against women and children. These are important priorities for Nordic co-operation on equality.

The Nordic Council of Ministers submits annual reports to the Nordic Institutions and the parliamentarians on the Nordic Council about the equality situation throughout the Region.

International co-operation

The Nordic Region does not just co-operate internally on gender equality, but also with, for example, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Northwest Russia and Kaliningrad.

Every year, the Nordic countries arrange a joint Nordic fringe event during the general meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, with the aim of publicising Nordic gender-equality work. The Nordic ministers for gender equality meet informally during this session.