Goal 2: The Nordic societies must be free of discrimination and the distribution of power and influence must reflect the diversity of the Nordic populations at large
The Nordic countries have historically been pioneers when it comes to promoting the equal representation of the genders in politics. Even so, women remain underrepresented in the governing bodies of society, in politics and in business, and many women refrain from participating in social debates on social media or within politics for fear of gender-based attacks or discrimination.
Gender equality benefits all inhabitants within Nordic society as both individuals and society as a collective can benefit when everyone is able to participate to the best of their ability, regardless of gender. Even the gender-equality challenges of tomorrow can be resolved so long as popular support for gender equality as a fundamental Nordic value is maintained.
To effectively reach gender equality in the Nordic countries, other perspectives such as age, disability and ethnicity must also be taken into consideration.
At a time of great change and rapid technological developments, gender equality and equal rights must stand firm as fundamental principles of the Nordic societies. This is particularly relevant in view of the increasing digitisation of the Nordic societies and the rapid developments within artificial intelligence, which have the potential to cause major upheaval on the Nordic labour markets.
In order for the Nordic countries to remain competitive within the areas of digitisation and technology, the sector will need to be able to attract a diverse range of employees. Correspondingly, it is essential that women have access to jobs and influence within this growing sector. Finally, the sector can also make a positive contribution to gender equality and diversity by training artificial intelligence to eliminate rather than reproduce preconceived biases, and to promote gender equality.
In order to meet the challenges of the future, it is essential that all inhabitants in the Nordic Region be given the best conditions to contribute towards the development of Nordic society. This means that everyone must be able to be themselves, and that everyone must be entitled to respect and dignity. Unfortunately, many LGBTI people refrain from being open for fear of how others may react, and they are subjected to discrimination and hate crimes to a greater extent than the population at large.
Gender equality benefits all inhabitants within Nordic society.