The region Norrbotten in the north of Sweden will be at the forefront of Swedish gender equality.
Yvonne Stålnacke, councilor of Luleå, promise that at least a thousand people of Norrbotten will go to Nordic Forum in Malmö 2014.
In order to bring the topic of equal pay to the political agenda, organizations in the women’s movement, women’s associations of political parties, and trade unions in Sweden have initiated an unprecedented broad cooperation through the 15:52-movement, highlighting the gender pay gap of 14.1%. Continue reading
The global extent of violence against women and girls will be one of many topics at Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014. Violence against women and girls is also the theme of the 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The Swedish women’s rights movement demonstrate strength and unity, in a time when women’s rights are challenged in Sweden as well as globally, through a joint policy paper demanding governmental engagement and action to eliminate all forms of men’s violence against women.
The UN CSW has previously addressed the need for preventive work in its outcome documents from the 1998 and 2007 sessions. The fact that 2012 years session of the CSW ended without agreed conclusions, however, demonstrated once again that women’s rights are questioned and threatened around the world.
With the current political backlash for women’s rights we recognize the need to mobilize the global women’s rights movement and to make adequate use of the knowledge and experience that this movement holds. Through Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014 – New Action on Women’s Rights, the Nordic women’s movement can set a common political agenda for the advancement of women’s rights. We welcome you to make gender equality a reality!
On January 23rd, the Swedish Women’s Lobby organized a meeting in Malmö to mobilize and inspire for Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014. Turnout as well as atmosphere was high when Gertrud Åström, Chairwoman of the Swedish Women’s Lobby, opened the meeting with a stirring speech about our opportunities for change, if we work together.
Martina Nilsson, municipal commissioner for the City of Malmö and responsible for gender issues, welcomed the initiative and gave her support to Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014 by offering the city’s hospitality.
Nina Björk wrapped up the meeting by talking about feminist mobilization and the value of the work that women of all times have spent caring for other people’s bodies, whether it includes children, the sick or the elderly.
Together we can create change for a new time – our time. We look forward to seeing you at Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014!
The largest feminist meeting in the Nordic region will take place next year. 15000 writers, artists, business leaders and politicians will convene at Nordiskt Forum in Malmö on 12-15 June.
Nordiskt Forum is now releasing the first speaker names: Vigdis Finnbogadóttir, the world’s first democratically elected female head of state and Iceland’s first female president, Gunhild A. Stordalen, Chairperson of the Norwegian Stordalen Foundation, Sofi Oksanen, author, Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, Chairperson of LO (the Swedish Trade Union Confederation), Margot Wallström, Diversity Director at Postcode Lottery, Alexandra Pascalidou, journalist and author, Claes Borgström, lawyer and former Equality Ombudsman and Annika Winsth, Chief Economist for Nordea are some of the names that are set for Nordiskt Forum.
The purpose of the conference is to take the pulse of gender equality policy today. The UN has not organised a global conference on gender equality and women’s rights in the past 20 years. The reason behind this is that the reactionary tendencies in the world are so strong that there is a clear risk that the rights established at the last conference would be pushed back if the door were to be opened to new negotiations.
– It is time for action. When women’s rights are questioned, when what we have fought for is trivialised, when wage gaps remain, when men’s violence against women does not end: we have to act. Actors from the whole society must come together, we need to focus and find solutions together, said Gertrud Åström, Chairperson of the Swedish Women’s Lobby in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and member of the Nordic organisers’ group.
Nordiskt Forum is discussion as well as debate, training in working with gender equality and women’s rights, literature, music and cinema. A large area is being built around Malmö Arena and MalmöMässa. The conference program and discussions are based on the CEDAW Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action. The objective is to formulate new concrete demands, commitments and strategies to be submitted to the Nordic governments. Nordiskt Forum Malmö 2014 is organised by 200 organisations from the Nordic Women’s Movement in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
– The forum itself is a historic event. Never before has the Nordic Women’s Movement organised such a large and comprehensive meeting. But this is not an internal event. Municipalities, government authorities, civil society organizations as well as activists, small business owners, politicians and business representatives will participate. There is a lot of interest in participating with programs and exhibits. We are already looking at ways to expand the area, said Caroline Matsson, Conference Manager of Nordiskt Forum.
– It is clear that the forum comes at the right time. There is a great pressure and need to discuss these issues. In addition, the forum will take place right in the middle of the Swedish election campaign, added Caroline Matsson.
Where: The conference will take place at Malmö Arena and MalmöMässan.
When: 12-15 June 2014
How: For more information and the updated list of participants www.nf2014.org
Eva Biaudet (FI), Finland’s Minority Ombudsman, Sanne Søndergaard (DK), stand-up comedian and author, Nina Björk (SE), author and writer, Ali Esbati (SE), director of the Norwegian Manifest Analyse, Tomas Gunnarsson (SE), gender photographer, Astrid Johansson (SE), high school pupil at Tuna School in Luleå, Birgitta Ohlsson (SE), EU Minister, Tiina Rosenberg (SE), Professor of Theatre Studies and rector of the University of the Arts Helsinki, Maria Sveland (SE), author and journalist, Anna Serner (SE), CEO of the Swedish Film Institute, Parvin Ardalan (Iran), journalist and civil rights activist, Raewyn Connell (Australia), sociologist and men’s studies researcher, Charlotte Petri Gomitzka (SE), Director General of SIDA.
Caroline Matsson, Conference Manager, 072 – 853 35 89
Maria Almström, Communications Manager, 072 – 853 35 91