„I strongly believe that advancing gender equality in all contexts is a driver of progress and I salute the initiative of the Civil Society Development Foundation and Frivillighet Norge to open a discussion about human rights from a gender equality perspective. Through the EEA and Norway Grants, Norway is successfully cooperating with Romania in several key areas in society. Most of our endeavours are aiming in particular to ensure that human rights are equally applied, that all people are equal before the law, that all voices are heard, and that no one is left out.” H.E., Ms. Siri Barry, the Norwegian Ambassador in Bucharest
This was the message that opened the international thematic event „Human rights from a gender equality perspective” attended by 22 participants from 22 organisations from Romania and Norway. The event took place in Bucharest between 20-21 January 2022 and it was organized by the Civil Society Development Foundation and the Norwegian organisation Frivillighet Norge under the Fund for Bilateral Relations, part of the Active Citizens Fund Romania programme, which aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Romania and the Donor States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The activities and methods used during the two days’ workshop were designed to facilitate a better understanding of how Norwegian entities work in the field of gender equality and to contribute to the empowerment of Romanian organizations to sustainably include elements related to gender equality in their current practices. The event was addressed to civil society organisations that implement projects aimed at combatting gender-based violence and providing support to survivors of gender-based violence, advocating for gender equality, education and social change for gender equality, increasing women’s role in decision-making process, projects financed by the Active Citizens Fund Romania programme.
According to the Gender Equality Index 2021 2021, Romania ranks 25th in the EU, with a score 13.5 points below the EU’s score. Several challenges persist in relation to gender equality in areas connected to health, decision-making positions across the political, economic, and social spheres or allocation of time spent doing care and domestic work and social activities. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic brings new challenges, especially for women, as well as for policy makers and civil society actors involved in combating this phenomenon as this form of violence has increased since the beginning of 2020, according to data from the National Agency for Equal Opportunities. Needless to say, gender-based violence is a violation of human rights.
Starting from these premises, the participants shared ideas and best practices on how these challenges can be tackled by the civil society organisations which have a significant role in defending human rights and promoting equal treatment. Most important, during the two days, people discussed about the ways in which methods and good practices on gender equality successfully implemented in Norway can be adapted to the Romanian context and how Romanian civil society organisations can enforce their watchdog role on human rights and equal treatment for all, gender equality issues and combatting gender-based violence.
„NGOs have a continuos obligation to develop a society that is open and inclusive. Gender equality is idenitified as one of the UN sustainability goals, and many Norwegian NGOs have been on the front line, fighting for gender equality throughout our history. We are happy to exchange our knowledge and experience with Romanian NGOs”,Stian Slotterøy Johnsen, General Secretary of Frivillighet Norge
Experts from Norway were present at he event, who moderated working sessions on human rights from a gender equality perspective, Norway being among the countries that have clear set of laws and procedures regarding gender equality. Among the experts from Norway present at the event, Grete Herlofson has worked with national and international issues related to gender equality as part of her experience as the general secretary of the Norwegian Women's Medical Association and department director in the Norwegian Red Cross. Ivana Suboticki is a researcher within the Department for Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her main research interests are related to studying inclusion practices in research and higher education, technology development and broader energy transitions. Her current research is focused on gender balance in higher education institutions in Norway.
About Active Citizens Fund Romania
Active Citizens Fund Romania is part of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021, funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.ro.
