The Nordic road towards Beijing+25

Abstract

The Nordic countries have collaborated in promoting gender equality for over 40 years. Each country has a long history of advancing legislation that facilitates gender equality, both in the labour market and in society as a whole. The most visible result is that the majority of women in the Nordic countries are in paid employment, almost on a par with men. Efforts have also led to a more gender-equal distribution of power, influence and resources in the region, in politics as in business. Solutions for shared parental leave, equal pay, violence prevention, equal opportunities at work, and greater involvement of men and boys in gender equality – to mention a few – have not evolved organically. They are results of targeted policies by governments, which are backed up by well-organized civil society organisations and a private sector that also benefits from social trust and gender equality. Over time these measures have evolved and been key to progress. The Nordic countries’ achievements and rights-based approaches have also garnered respect internationally. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020 asserts that the Nordic countries remain the closest to achieving gender equality, based on the Forum’s methodology. In 2020 the global community marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most visionary agenda for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere. This report summarizes the five Nordic countries’ Beijing+25 review reports. Through six clusters, the report exemplifies the collective Nordic experience and progress, and picks out emerging challenges. 2020 is a year marked by a global gender equality review, and it marks the opportunity to strengthen political efforts in the Nordic countries – and in the rest of the world – for the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, once and for all.