Gender: Where we stand and what we are heading at

Karen Sjørup Associate professor, Sociology Roskilde University Presentation for ”Humanities in Action” DIS, Copenhagen June 2013

Most people think that we already have achieved gender equality

Gender equality is seen as a 1970’s case Neo-liberal resistance to gender policies,

people should choose for themselves! It is a trend to care more about boys and

men as the victims of gender equality Queer policies

General in DK

DK 7th rank in the Global Gender Gap (Sweden 4) 77 pct. women in the labour force, 83 pct. men

(almost as Sweden 77/82) Wage gap 73 Sweden 69 Legislators, senior officials and managers, DK 24%

women(rank 78), Sweden 32% women (rank 45) Women in parliament DK 45%, Sweden 45% Maternity leave DK 52 weeks, 2 weeks for fathers,

Sweden 480 days, 60 days each parent

Where we stand

Equality for men: Health, father’s leave, Boys dropping out of education Marginalised men Equality for women: Activate all talents Quotas for executive boards Battered women Immigrant women Criminalising prostitution (customers)

Where is the political gender equality discourse right now, in Denmark?

To make politicians prioritize gender equality to make cooperation between the actors to make people understand that inequality is

not a matter of biology to fight neoliberal resistance to gender equality To make gender equality policies less ad hoc

and subject to shifting trends To maintain welfare services in spite of the

economic crisis - especially day care

What are some of the most pressing challenges and obstacles in order to achieve gender

equality?

Sector 4 is addressing the obligation of public authorities to gender mainstream all laws and activities.

it is not working a new initiative will be launched in March Especially the majority of municipalities are

not working with it and only few ministries

Mainstreaming: Section 4 of the Gender Equality Act?

There should be an overall discussion in each field of where equality policies is not working

there should be priorities made, although the gender mainstreaming strategy is not focusing on making priorities

there should be much more obligatory demands to gender mainstream new laws in order to safeguard the quality of laws. example: Personal taxation reform.

?

How should parliamentarians incorporate gender equality into their diverse responsibilities

Father’s share of maternity leave min. 3 months

Gender research should be actively used Equal pay should be set on the agenda –

again more focus on the lives of ‘ordinary’ women,

low wages, few career opportunities, time bind

Intersectionality, more focus on intersection between gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and social class

Queer

Where are we heading at?