Feminist foreign policy and gender equality in the workplace were the topics of a seminar arranged by the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai on 8 April.
According to the World Economic Forum, the global gender gap has increased a whole generation as a result of the pandemic. This is not only a serious setback for womens’ rights, but bad news for the global economy.
The seminar gathered an audience of almost one hundred people. Ulrika Grandin, deputy director at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, participated virtually to give a presentation of Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. In 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to adopt a feminist foreign policy.
The first panel discussed Swedish, Chinese and European experiences of gender work. Many topics were raised, including the Women, Peace and Security agenda, gender work at the United Nations’ Security Council, and the importance of gender statistics in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. A second panel led by UN Women China had an active discussion on gender discrimination in the workplace. Representatives from academia, civil society organizations and Swedish companies shared their experiences and perspectives. Unequal retirement ages, sexual harassment and the need for successful legal cases were among the issues raised.
As the world recovers from the pandemic, we need to see global improvements on gender equality. As one panelist put it: “I’m not looking forward to going back!”
