Minister Blomqvist: The Government Programme’s measures to promote equality support the objectives and effective implementation of the EU Gender Equality Strategy

“The Government Programme and the action plan for gender equality that is under preparation aim at strong and sustainable actions to promote gender equality both at national and international levels. The Gender Equality Strategy, published by the European Commission, is a step in the right direction. Finland and the EU have set similar goals for the promotion of equality and their actions support each other,” says Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist.

The European Commission released the Gender Equality Strategy for 2020–2025 at the beginning of March. The Strategy presents the key challenges relating to gender equality in the EU as well as the Commission’s goals and actions aiming to promote gender equality and to eliminate discrimination based on gender in the next five years.

In the Strategy, the Commission commits to ensure that the gender perspective is included in all policy areas and processes in the EU. The Strategy also highlights the principle of intersectionality, according to which gender is one of the characteristics examined as grounds of discrimination.

The priority areas set out in the EU's Gender Equality Strategy include eliminating gender-based violence, achieving gender balance in the economy and decision-making, mainstreaming the gender perspective in the EU's decision-making, and promoting gender equality in the EU's external relations policy.

Minister Blomqvist considers the objectives and actions ambitious and stresses the importance of the Strategy for the promotion of gender equality in the whole EU.

“The Strategy alone will not help in achieving gender equality. It is essential that the level of ambition is maintained at a high level throughout the implementation phase,” Minister Blomqvist says.

“The significance of equality work may become emphasised in crisis situations. The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and related measures will affect different groups and genders in different ways and it is important that the measures meet the needs. The Gender Equality Strategy can strengthen this work at EU level,” says Minister Blomqvist. 

Inquiries:

Anna Abrahamsson, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 2951 50029 firstname.lastname@om.fi
Tanja Auvinen, Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. 02951 63715, firstname.lastname@stm.fi