Nordiskt Forum Final Document
Today at the Closing Ceremony, the Nordic Ministers of Equality will be given the Final Document, which contains a number of demands and recommendations.
Through the document, the Nordic women’s movement wants to remind the Nordic governments of the commitments made when the Platform for Action from Beijing was signed. The governments accepted the obligation that all political measures and programmes were to have a gender perspective.
“The Nordic women’s movement is putting forward 63 points that we want our countries to fulfil. It’s time for action… now! But the work on gender equality does not end there,” says Gertrud Åström, Chair of Sweden’s Women’s Lobby.
Five important demands from the Nordisk Forum Final Document:
• The Nordic countries’ national budgets, and municipal and regional budgets integrate a gender equality perspective, so that gender equality is shown in financial documents and decisions, and that the equality policy goals are systematically followed up and used as a basis for new measures, and are included in the Post-2015 agenda.
• The Nordic governments fund the women’s movement organisations and co-operate at Nordic level, at least on the same level as other organisations in civil society, so that feminism makes an impact and genuine gender equality is attained in society.
• Women with family links are to be granted their own residence permits that are not linked to the man. Deportation of women subjected to violence is stopped. Women who are subjected to trafficking in human beings are given protection and help, regardless of whether they can or will witness in criminal proceedings.
• The Nordic governments, employer organisations and trade organisations work to promote working life that considers family life and actual working environment and creates reasonable working conditions. The right to full-time employment is increased by legislation or agreements in the countries where women’s involuntary part-time employment is widespread. Uncertain employment positions in the form of hourly-based work and fixed-term employment positions are regulated so that abuse is stopped.
• Nordic authorities help women to assume roles as players, innovators, organisers, teachers, leaders and ambassadors for sustainable development. Climate- and environment-directed aid must always, where relevant, include a gender perspective.