This report summarises discussions from a gender equality knowledge exchange, facilitated by Wales Centre for Public Policy, between experts from Nordic nations, Welsh Government ministers and officials, and Chwarae Teg.
There is no ‘quick fix’ for gender equality, and nor is there a blueprint for success; it looks different in different nations, and is always a work-in-progress.
An intersectional approach, taking into account how gender intersects with other important factors such as race and class, is vital to achieving gender equality. Nordic countries are trying to incorporate an intersectional perspective into existing approaches. Welsh Government has the opportunity to incorporate intersectionality into its efforts going forward.
Gender mainstreaming is a key mechanism for achieving gender equality. It means taking gender into account during the development of all policies as well as designing specific policies to promote gender equality. Applying gender mainstreaming to new policies, rather than to existing policies, may be the most effective starting point for the Welsh Government.
Setting clear goals with indicators, and measuring progress towards achieving them, is essential in making progress in gender equality. The Welsh Government might consider setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals for achieving gender equality.
Achieving gender equality is not the responsibility of government alone – public services, voluntary organisations, community groups, businesses, the media, and society at large needs to be involved.
You can listen to our podcast on Gender Equality below. We ask what gender equality looks like in practical terms, what it looks like in other countries, and what still needs to happen before reaching the Welsh Government’s aim of becoming the UK’s first feminist government.
Guests include:
Cerys Furlong – Chief Executive of Chwarae Teg
Dr Angela O’Hagan – Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences in the Glasgow School for Business and Society, and Deputy Director of the Wise Centre for Economic Justice
Magnus Jacobson – Gender expert and Communication Strategist at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR)