Nordic countries promote debate on gender equality in Brazil

The embassies of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark launched the project Nordic Dialogues on Friday (Apr. 20) in Brasília, aimed at promoting debate and the exchange of experiences in a bid to raise awareness about gender equality among Brazilians.

The project will be continued in the form of debates, film airings, and other artistic activities on the topic in several Brazilian cities this year.

The launch ceremony for Nordic Dialogues was held at the embassy of Sweden, which currently chairs the council of Nordic ministers. Swedish Ambassador to Brazil Per-Arne Hjelmborn said his country regards the issue of gender equality as “a relevant focus for government policies.”

“Fifty percent of the members of the Swedish government is made up of women, and 45% to 50% of the representatives from Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland) in Parliament is female,” Hjelmborn noted.

Swedish Ambassador to Brazil Per-Arne Hjelmborn said his country regards the issue of gender equality as “a relevant focus for government policies.” - Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil

Norwegian Ambassador Nils Martin Gunneng pointed out that the Norwegian society is aware that the greater participation of women in key sectors is crucial to the nation’s political and economic success. “The post of Norway’s prime-minister is occupied by a female representative (Erna Solberg); and other key ministries, like Finance, are also led by women,” Nils Martin Gunneng mentioned.

In attendance besides the Nordic ambassadors were UN Women representative for Brazil Nadine Gasman, Professional Training and Specialization Director Iara Alves, from the National Public Administration School (Enap), and University of Brasília Professor Flávia Biroli, whose talk focused on “Gender and Inequalities in Brazil.”

During the ceremony, Nadine Gasman said one of the biggest challenges facing Brazil is to redress inequalities by valuing the role of women. For the UN, the strengthening of the role of indigenous women numbers among the most important topics.

Gasman went on to mention statistics showing that “women in Brazil study more, work more, and make less money.” Also, black women get 60% less pay than white women. Regarding violence, she said that over 4.5 thousand women are murdered in Brazil every year.

Nordic countries - jose.romildo