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Arni Hole,
FMO, 8 mars, Brussels
Dear participants, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to greet you on March the 8th! Let us celebrate
solidarity with all women in Europe and elsewhere, and pave the way
– not only for women’s rights - but for the need to work for gender
equality in the modern sense of the word.
Later today, I am talking to another audience here in Brussels, on
precisely the economic sense of the concept of GE: No nation can
afford not to stretch for GE. GE simply pays off for the economy,
and for developing a sustainable democratic society where the
individuals, regardless of gender, participate in the work force on
equal terms, share family responsibilities and decision-making in top
management, politics and boards rooms.
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We can look to the latest report from the World Economic Forum/the
Global Gender Gap report, and how they discussed the economic
stability and success of the Nordic Countries in Davos, core factors
being high goals for and outputs of gender equality and steady
cooperation between the social partners.
I shall not deliver an ideological speech, but convey some more
practical messages concentrating on:
 The arguments
 The task
 The double goal
 Types of projects
 The lesson learned
 Possible partners
The arguments
To mainstream gender issues within the sectors of society to obtain a
sound human and social development – is the core.
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(The idea is to combine the different priority sectors from this booklet:
Programme Areas 2009 -2014, not to see them as separate entities or
silos…)
How to trigger the interest of authorities, NGOs and businesses for
mainstreaming GE?
What is in it for “us”, they will ask…
And why not use time and money on environment, energy, cultural
heritage, research, transport….visible, concrete structures and
outcomes?
I ask: How could anything be more visible than optimal use of brain
force for jobs and value-adding, regardless of gender?
Further, how to make local, regional and central authorities
understand that there is a need to include gender analyses in all public
planning?
For instance in all types of production of public services?
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As to make use of public money more targeted and effective (my core
message for gender sensitive budgeting), since people in all
countries come in all types of “wrapping”: Men, women, boys, and
girls;
Of course gender is crossing age, sexual orientation, religions, and
ethnicity, disability (you always have diversity in needs and must
meet these with tailored products)
Why is it wise to recruit and train competent persons from both sexes,
thus build in more credibility in all services, schools, business support
schemes etc.?
Why is redistribution of decisional power necessary in modern
societies, in local and national politics, in private sector, in the upper
echelons of economy?
Simply because one cannot afford to loose out on talents. Neither
local /national governments nor private enterprises, can afford not to
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engage able women and men, bringing their perspectives, experiences
and diversity to the fore; to improve the quality of decisions.
Simply because the market where one is pushing goods and
distributing services have two genders, the purses to pay for goods and
services belong to both genders. Simply because it is good
governance.
In regional policies in Norway, we talk about”tandem recruitment”.
Any policy-scheming has to be genderised, gender sensitive;
If a rural local community does not offer opportunities to both
genders, the young women (who, in the rural districts of N. educates
themselves more than the young men) will not stay or not be attracted
to the region/small sites/decaying villages. No women, no babies. And
no babies give a decline in population and a poorer future for the
nations.
The challenges are slightly different in the big cities, where job
opportunities are more plentiful. But where lack of kindergartens,
early child care, paid parental leave etc, easily may turn the choices of
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young women (and men) into a choice of either – or. Family or
work life career. It is a human right to have both.
Without a basis of gender sensitive family policy measures, you will
not succeed in developing sustainable societies; where all talents,
regardless of gender, are engaged in gainful work/have income,
pay taxes to the common welfare - and also have families.
It is vital to try to grip this “web” of multiple causes for a successful
societal development and identify the remedies/policies to
meet/enhance/promote such a development !
This is what gender equality is all about! And GM/GB. Even if you
need to have some specific and targeted measures for women and girls
only, do not fall into the pit of picturing women and girls as sole
victims or ”the needy”. It is vital to picture girls and women as
powerful and partners to a sustainable future. Likewise, to picture men
and boys as receptive to G.E., not hostile. When we talk “win-win”,
we are in business with the critics.
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The Task:
You need solid sectorial analyses of possible projects and tasks within
different sectors; hopefully identifying projects combining awareness
raising, better decision-making etc, with job creation, competence
building, outputs that transforms and improve public services, redistribute power, and so on.
Gender Equality mainstreamed is a plain necessity to further develop
our economies and societies and good governance, as such !
Through the inclusion of the gender sensitivity in all governance
(public and private), through success stories about effective public
services to all, through profitable female and male entrepreneurship,
through job-creation,
the “reputation” of GE will increase; simply because it pays off !
To engage men (and women) with traditional views on gender, in
these completely necessary projects and policies, may be difficult.
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You have to fight off some traditional gender stereotypes along the
way….(We had to do this, even in Norway, esp. in rural areas and
small cities with traditional production structures and trad. industries,
trad. religious beliefs…)
But no one, not the most die-hards of men (or women), can resist
the economic argument or the fertility argument.
The double goals
So – the wise thing to do, is to crack the code and invent projects that
have a “double” goal: Meet needs through employing GE-analyses.
Pick economically sound or innovative projects within the sectors,
analyse with ”gender glasses” as to what is needed and why, engage
both men and women, boys and girls in the pre-project tasks, let such
analyses feed into the final decision on a certain project. Then you
will have legitimacy and support.
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You need to set up a structure that most certainly will produce an
outcome and alter the future development in government, in X and Y
sector or business.
The most rewarding: A good outcome will alter the gender stereotypes
of what is masculinity or femininity – for ever.
Types of projects
 Campaigns for gender balance in electoral processes (local,
regional or national bodies); on party lists and before/during
elections (Norwegian examples: Project called ’The Display
Window’, with several municipalities and support from National
Govt. to enhance gender balance in local and regional elected
bodies (now: 38 % women) the voluntary quota within all
political parties but one, to have more women elected to
Parliament – now 40 %)
 Campaigns and measures within the Local Government
Associations to promote more women Mayors and Municipal
Chief Executives (examples from Norway)
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 Care services: Must be genderised as to meet the need of men,
women, young people of both genders , people with disabilities
from both sexes, etc.,
 Child Care institutions (kindergartens): Can be set up by
municipalities, local community groups, or by private
persons/small innovative companies ; creating new jobs and at
the same time possibilities/freedom for women (and men) to
engage in paid work when children are taken care of, thus
having their own income, paying taxes and contributing to the
common good. Important to engage both men and women to
work in kindergartens; since children need role-models from
both sexes, a sub-project could be to launch gender-sensitive
learning material for the employed and for the children
 Fathers, sharing child care: Challenging local, regional or
national authorities with the need for earmarking ”fathers
quotas” within the parental leave systems you might have
already/or while waiting for national laws and regulations to
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come forth. Awards to the "best practice municipality” or the
best fathers/family friendly firm (is done in Norway).
 Branding: Set up structures to promote”reputation building” with
gender balance as a prerequisite to attract/recruit the best
persons/talents, regardless of gender – for a business to succeed.
To compete in the market has a lot to do with
”branding”/reputation
 After school services: May be set up as public or private
services, as to assist children (boys more easily drop out of
school and homework) and help parents working full day….
Both genders should be active
 Exploring ICT and social media: Engaging esp. young people of
both sexes to train for and set up small companies; could be an
important part of community services. Lots of opportunities and
possibilities (In Norway: We found that adolescent boys more
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easily found the information on sexual health on an Internet site
than the girls, who went to the youth health clinics)
 Training programs for elderly women: How to use the Internet,
to find services, do banking, participate in social activities etc,
since there still exist an ICT gender gap between the sexes
among the elderly
 Analyse the sports with gender glasses: Who receives what
grants, develop measures for both genders and engage boys and
girls in local work. All communities love competitions and
winners, regardless of gender
 Entrepreneurship/training programs/investment facilities: Must
be targeted towards both genders. Esp. women/girls, if analyses
show that women lack access to capital or advisory support.
(Could easily be twinned with new initiatives in ICT)
 Access to power (initiatives like the business programs Female
Future and FUTURAin Norway); entrepreneurship within
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mentor-adept programs as to facilitate women’s access to top
management, board-rooms, representation in local politics,
regional level or national level No one is born with a
”participation gene” (if there is such a gene…!)
 Young entrepreneurship: Norway has a specific program
engaging with young people of both gender in secondary
schools, very successful
 Rural entrepreneurship , most important and in some countries
very successful among women
 National or regional campaigns: To amend laws and regulations
that would promote gender balance in decision-making;
choosing carefully some pilot projects and at the same time push
forward public discussions/debates; engaging private business,
political parties , the social partners, ”icons” from show
business, TV, writers, bloggers, twitter-community (look to
Norway; quota laws for the large, listed private companies; now
followed by Spain, Belgium, France and may be Italy, and
discussed all over Europe and within the EU)
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 Projects within work life: With the social partners, as to promote
equal pay for work of equal value: Analyse the wage structure in
certain types of professions/jobs or one specific enterprise. If the
findings are that female dominated sectors or type of jobs have
on average (per hour) lower pay than male dominated jobs,
measures should be taken.
 Cultural entrepreneurship: Using media and ICT, promoting new
culture companies, performance groups; approaching specific
groups of women and men, youth or elderly. Blogs, twitter,
Facebook-”movements …Culture is very efficient to rise pride
and identity. Culture may promote GE in an entertaining way
 Always engage media: Use local, regional or national media as
facilitators to spread good news; sponsor a”Gender Journalist” in
a local newspaper. Local radios and TV-stations are excellent
channels.
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 Appoint Pilot Schools: To do educational work or projects in GE
and raising possibilities of boys and girls. Followed by awards
for best programmes and curriculums educating in gender
equality.
 Establishment of shelters for victims of gender based or family
based violence: Not only for women, but for children and men
alike; develop local services/low threshold services to victims of
violence
 Physical planning in cities or local communities, addressing the
need for universal access for persons with disabilities, elderly
women (often not using cars), young parents with trolleys.
Physical planning in housing projects; as to include the planning
of outdoor playgrounds for kids, sites for kindergartens… (Such
projects can be wonderfully concrete and visible – to the critics’
eyes…)
The list is infinite.
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The lesson is:
Be concrete and specific. Find project- ideas (locally, regionally,
nationally), within a specific business /trade sector, or a specific
public service sector, identify where there is a lack of
service/products, where health and quality of life is at risk, human
rights at stake, where power sharing is paramount,
and so forth
- ask, with gender glasses: What could be done, improved,
invented, better tailored, better physically planned, and better
governed and whom to mobilise; whom to enter into partnerships with
all with a “double goal”:
 To produce economic or business results, create jobs, increase
better life quality, better and targeted use of public money,
better governance, better outreach to less fortunate groups.
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 To display that effective outcomes are possible only by
implementing GE-analyses, a profound GB- practise in the
projects
As simple as that. (and as difficult…)
Hopefully, projects will contain also more long time goals of changing
narrow and unproductive gender roles (for men as for women…)
Possible partners
 national, regional or local government
 national or regional public agencies
 local authorities in certain sectors producing services,
 public investment funds,
 private investment banks,
 industrial groups
 or a certain enterprise with recruitment needs,
 NGOs in many fields, not only women’s NGOs,
 Social Partners (Trade Unions and Employers Federations, see
Decent work and Tripartite dialogue),
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 youth NGOs and sport clubs,
 cultural groups, cultural institutions,
 musical groups/bands/singers
 media of all kinds,
 ICT-colleges
 or ICT-firms with expansion plans,
 parents/teachers groups,
 kindergarten-groups or federations,
 lawyers and HR-groups,
 minority groups/NGOs,
 disability-associations,
 research groups/universities/colleges/funds in many fields,
 anti-violence groups
 environmental groups
 city-planners, city planning action groups
 regional planners/regional planning authorities
 farmers unions, female farmers groups
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We could go on and on….
The hard job – to start with – is to pick the right projects, with the
prospects to combine the 2 outputs I mentioned above.
You need to apply planning tools like risk analyses. You need solid
and robust budgeting. A strong idealistic belief/a burning heart is not
enough to succeed.
Finally:
Be sure to include plans for spreading the news and lessons learned.
Such type of modern news need to be facilitated and have channels.
Bad news, reproducing old and harmful gender stereotypes, travel fast
by itself.
Good luck and thank you!