ElisabethFrancis
Ms.Francis
VAÖ Austria
Side Event – Pushing back the push-back – Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence 1.15pm 6/03/23
Nordic Council of Ministers and Iceland
Women in power and decision-making, Human rights of women, Education and training of women, Violence against women, Institutional mechanisms, Women and health
SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG16 – Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, SDG17 – Partnerships to achieve the Goal
Bullying (2016), Harassment (2016), Sexual Health and Reproduction Education (2019), Women and STEM (2019), Sexual Harassment in Workplace (2019)
This side event spoke to many of our key themes – 'pushback': the risk that digitalization helps expand the growing resistance to gender equality: need to act quickly to counter online gender based violence.
Excellent Side-event that highlighted the Nordic Countries co-operative response to the problems and dangers that digitalization can pose to women.
The Nordic countries are among the most digitized in the world. But digitalization has also helped expand a growing resistance to gender equality.
The Nordic countries are known for their success when it comes to gender equality. However, gender-based violence persists particularly in Finland. The goal of the Nordic cooperation is to ensure that everyone can enjoy a life free from sexual harassment, violations, and violence.
High Level Panel included:-
Ms. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister; Iceland
Ms. Sirið Stenberg, Minister of Social affairs and Culture, Faroe Islands
Ms. Naaja H. Nathanielsen, Minister of Finance and Gender Equality, Greenland
Ms. Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Minister for Employment, Sweden
Ms. Marie Bjerre, Minister for Digital Government and Gender Equality, Denmark
Ms. Gry Haugsbakken, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Equality, Norway
Mr. Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality, Finland
Moderator:
Dr. María Rún Bjarnadóttir, Director for Internet Safety at the Icelandic National Commissioner for Police
The Nordic Countries have established a Roadmap outlining their commitment and response to push back against gender equality push-back and the anti-gender movement.
This 'Nordic Roadmap' strives to elevate a unified Nordic voice on advancing gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and the equal rights of LGBTI-persons internationally. It highlights prioritised thematic areas where the push-back is highly present and where counter action is needed. It includes measures and activities to be used by the Nordic countries in their work to amplify their common voice in countering the resistance and advancing gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and equal rights of LGBTI-persons in the long term.
The Nordic Roadmap provides a 'best practice' approach that can be helpful in many countries. It also shows the benefits of a campaign that is not just one country based, but includes substantial regional co-operation.
Here is a link to the Roadmap…
https://www.norden.org/en/declaration/pushing-back-push-back-nordic-roadmap-advancing-gender-equality-womens-and-girls-rights
I found the framework of the Roadmap a helpful way to think through the issues and possible responses.
Objectives
??????1. To promote a common voice and communication across the Nordic Countries
2. To foster advocacy, alliances and cooperation
(This includes to engage in constructive dialogue with organisations or countries that are part of the resistance.)
3. To exchange experiences
(It is so important to share and exchange knowledge and good practice as a way to increase the support for advancing gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and equal rights of LGBTI-persons).
Prioritised thematic areas:-
'Health
– Sexual and reproductive health and rights, including abortion rights
– Comprehensive sexuality education
– Comprehensive health care service for women, girls and LGBTI persons.
Violence
– Men’s violence against women, including honour-related violence and oppression
– Hate crime, hate speech and harassment in physical and virtual spaces
– Prostitution, commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking for sexual exploitation
– Conversion therapy
Anti-discrimination
– Policy design that promotes gender equality and non-discrimination covering all grounds of discrimination, including discrimination against LGBTI-persons
– Same sex marriage acts and social acceptance
– Economic gender equality throughout the life cycle and equal remuneration for work of equal value'
Advocacy to other / home country Governments to adopt a similar approach
