by Connie Phlipot, AWA Vienna
Gender equality in Europe: the Nordics and East European EU accession countries
Two official side events during the first two days CSW69 presented an insightful picture of the fluid gender situation in Europe, from the Nordic countries with their enviable track record of gender equality to the countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans that are struggling to implement the requirements of EU accession. Despite regional differences, the outlook for gender equality across Europe is influenced by two trends – the rise of anti-liberal authoritarian political forces and the ongoing war in Ukraine. On the positive side, commitment to progress and assisting each other is strong in the Nordics as well as in the accession countries.
A panel of ministers dealing with social, gender and judicial issues from Finland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden assessed their countries’ progress, warned about impending backlash and discussed strategies for moving forward. Challenged by the moderator, the dynamic British journalist and broadcaster Femi Oke, the ministers admitted that they might have been too confident in their own success to have noticed the danger posed by anti-liberal, anti-fascist threats in their own societies. Going backward is a political fact, as evinced by the similarity of anti-abortion rights rhetoric across national borders. Worried that they can’t promise their daughters a world moving forward, the ministers pledged to take action, including stepping up and engaging with those who don’t agree with them. For example, in Sweden activists are seeking to protect abortion rights by enshrining them in the constitution.
One of the biggest inequalities is that women don’t feel safe either in the physical or the virtual space. The threat of online violence has convinced many members of the young generation that involvement in politics is too toxic. In response, Sweden has take the step of making it possible to convict online perpetrators of sexual violence. Legislators have to have the courage to amend laws, to stand in front of the people, and to change the culture – for example, moving the onus in rape investigations from the victim to the accused not only in law, but also in the the culture.
These themes were echoed in the side event “Empowering change: Unlocking transformative gender impact in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe,” organized by Moldova with Albania, Denmark, North Macedonia, Ukraine, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and UN Women. EU officials, including the European Enlargement Commissioner in a recorded message, committed to using the enlargement process to advance gender equality, not only as a human rights concern, but also because women are essential for economic and political reform. Accession is indeed a powerful tool: no country can accede to the UN if it is not implementing gender equality and human rights. Moreover, the EU and individual countries can be instrumental in strengthening the institutions that implement and protect these rights. Sweden has instituted gender equality agencies cooperation, a partnership that helps both sides make their institutions more effective.
The Moldovan representatives provided evidence of the positive influence of the accession progress on gender equality, most notably the robust representation of women in government: not only the nation’s president, but also the chief EU negotiator, the president of the National Bank and members of the constitutional court (including the president from 2020 to 2023). Thanks in part to the double quota system Moldova implemented with the assistance of Sweden and the UN that provides for a minimum of 40% representation for both sexes and placement on candidate lists, 40 percent of parliaments are women and are well represented at all levels of regional and local governments. Gender equality laws providing for maternity and sharing parental leave and great transparency in wage rights to promote equal pay for equal work have been promulgated and the labor code amended to include flexible working hours. To combat the serious and pervasive problem of domestic violence, last year the national Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was established.
At the same time, Moldova and the rest of the accession countries have had to deal with the impact of the war in Ukraine and the rise of authoritarianism. Moldova faces the challenge of integrating Ukrainian refugees, primarily women and children, into their society. Georgia has seen most of their achievements in gender equality reversed, while Ukraine notes that very little of the assistance coming into the country goes to women’s organizations.