Pushing for progress - Towards gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons 2025-2027

For 50 years the Nordic countries have been united in one shared vision: to make sure that gender equality prevails in all areas of our societies and to ensure that every individual is free to pursue their dreams.

Since 1974, the Nordic governments have worked together to safeguard universal human rights and gender equality, to leave no one behind, to value diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and to stand up against discrimination, harassment, and all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.

The Nordic region has come far in fostering gender-equal, diverse, and inclusive societies, through comprehensive labor market policies and extensive social protection and anti-discrimination legislation. However, many challenges remain before everyone enjoys equal opportunities regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

We, the Nordic ministers for gender equality and LGBTI, have noted with great concern the growing resistance, regression and push-back against gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons, both globally and within the Nordic region.

In light of this growing polarization, we reiterate our commitment to maintain our achievements and push for further progress in order to promote gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons in the Nordic region and globally.

We remain fully committed to ensuring women and girls in all their diversity full enjoyment of their rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

We vow to defend the advancements already made on gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons, to never go backwards, and to keep pushing forward for progress.

We emphasize that the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action  

remain the most comprehensive blueprints for advancing global gender equality and empowering women and girls, and we hold that these are commitments that all governments should steadfastly pursue. 

We underscore our continued obligation to achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls in all their diversity in accordance with the 5th UN Sustainable Development Goal, and to the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, including the full implementation of the General Recommendation No. 39 on the rights of indigenous women and girls.

We commit to engaging young people in developing progressive policies of the future, and to addressing gender equality challenges that disproportionately affect women and girls as well as men and boys. 

We confirm that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and we reaffirm our obligation to tirelessly defend this principle and the international frameworks that safeguard it.

To this end, we set out to encourage a renewed global commitment to the international frameworks promoting gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons and sexual and reproductive health and rights for all[1].

We shall strive to build lasting, diverse, and representative alliances, to amplify global calls for continued progress, to listen and learn from others, and to always stand up for gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI persons. 

We call on all who are pushing for progress to join us.

On behalf of the Nordic governments, 
The Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality & LGBTI

[1] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on  Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), and the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action.