Beijing +25 and Making Gender Plan A in the Arctic
Women of the Arctic. Photo by Nancy Forde
By Gosia Smieszek and Tahnee Prior
As we head into a new decade, it becomes pertinent for us to reflect on how far we’ve come in the movement for gender equality and where best to move forward, both globally and in the Arctic.
In 2020, the global community will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 4th United Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, and the adoption of the landmark agreement, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which over past decades has served as a crucial agenda for women’s empowerment. It has sought to remove all obstacles to the active participation of women in all spheres of public and private life by ensuring their full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. The Declaration and Platform for Action not only affirmed that equality between women and men is a matter of human rights but is also a necessary prerequisite for sustainable development and peace within countries and among nations.
Next year will also mark five years since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was adopted by world leaders from more than 150 countries. Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (SDG 5) is one among 17 goals to which all Arctic states have signed onto. Concurrently, studies produced by the UNDP and UN Women highlight that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls can be a "catalytic policy intervention” and accelerate progress across all SDGs, including in reducing poverty (SDG 1), attaining food security (SDG 2), addressing climate impacts and strengthening resilience to disasters (SDG 13), and ensuring more peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16).
Still, progress toward the realization of the Beijing Declaration and SDG 5 remains uneven and, as of today, most countries of the world, including the eight Arctic states, have not reached full gender parity. Despite advancements in the workforce and female political representation, especially in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the proportion of women in political life and top management positions remains below, and sometimes far below, that of men. Furthermore, staggering World Bank statistics show that gender-based violence, or violence against women and girls, is a global pandemic affecting 1 in 3 women during their lifetime, and according to US government statistics, native women are more than 2.5 times likely to be sexually assaulted than other women. Shockingly high rates of violence against women appear to be a unifying factor across all Arctic states. The issue has not only devastating impacts on survivors and their families, but it also entails significant economic costs, which some countries estimate to reach up to 3,7% of their GDP. Meanwhile, climate change is expected to exacerbate many existing inequalities between men and women – relating to access to natural resources, education, and economic opportunities.
2020 will mark the halfway point of Iceland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2019-2021), whose priority it has been to bring renewed attention to gender issues in the Arctic. The Arctic is at the forefront of significant global change, and in light of the realities outlined above, we, as “Women of the Arctic”, suggest that the celebration of Beijing +25 in 2020 serve as an occasion for all Arctic states to make gender equality their landmark across all societal, political and economic dimensions, including circumpolar collaboration. Making gender Plan A in the Arctic is the only certain way to achieve inclusive, sustainable development in a rapidly changing world.
Women of the arctic
Women of the Arctic (WoA) is a non-profit association registered in Finland. It aims to promote gender equality and raise awareness, support, and maintain a focus on women’s and gender-related issues in the Arctic. Its website genderisnotplanb.com serves as a digital storytelling platform, showcasing the personal and professional stories of Arctic women while highlighting and promoting the inclusion of broader gender perspectives in all aspects of northern life and policy. To learn more about WoA and explore the platform visit genderisnotplanb.com and follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @PlanArctic. To contact us please write at: info@genderisnotplanb.com