GENDER MAINSTREAMING & CULTURAL RIGHTS Women Why are women in Denmark borrowing twice as many books from public libraries as men? Women in many countries participate actively in culture to a greater extent than men. However, if we look at the specific situation and role of female artists and cultural professionals working in the Cultural Sector, inequalities and structural discrimination become apparent. A quick view of the representation of women at one of the major music festivals in Europe, The Danish Roskilde Festival in 2017, showed a representation of 64 pct. male artists, 18 pct. women and 18 percent mixed. Having highlighted the gender imbalance at the festival, the organization developed a proactive gender initiative focusing on role models and supporting young talents. 18 Gender and culture can be measured through many indicators and although the 2017 #MeToo movement put a strong emphasis on sexual abuse in the arts and media industries it even sparked (and continues to do so) new discussions on gender representation in arts and cultural life, and calls into question how funds are disseminated. Less discussed was women’s access to culture, which is still rigidly controlled in many countries due to cultural, social, and religious norms. 18 Gender equality policy of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture Motivated by the need to gain deeper insight into the #MeToo discussion, in 2018 the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture commissioned a study on gender equality in the country’s cultural and creative sectors. The questions addressed by the study included reasons why the artistic and cultural scene in Finland is prone to sexual or gender-based harassment and improper conduct. The research was carried out by the Centre for Cultural Policy Research Cupore, and the final study She plays like a man! How to strengthen equality and wellbeing at work in the cultural field? was published in 2019. Besides up-to-date statistics and good practice examples, the report proposes recommendations for promoting well-being and ensuring more equal working conditions for artists and culture professionals, such as: • Including equality plans in funding applications, together with financial sanctions in case of misconduct – with possible withdrawal of funding; • Continuous collection and publication of data on the state of gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors; • Training on gender equality for managers/leaders/ supervisors; • Dismantling outdated gender traditions, stereotypes and genius myths – remembering that nobody is exceptional enough to have the right or special privilege to oppress others; • Working conditions need to be decent, even when work is done as a calling. One of the concrete actions carried out in 2019 by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture was the adoption of the Guidelines for Inclusion 2020-2023, an action plan for promoting operational gender equality and non-discrimination. Also, a gender equality clause was included in all operational grants of the Ministry, as of 2020. The clause stipulates that all beneficiaries must promote gender equality and non-discrimination in their operations, report on it and ensure that work is carried out within legal remits (Gender Equality Act and Nondiscrimination Act). These initiatives are even more noteworthy given that, in its 2016 periodic report on the implementation of the Convention, Finland stated that gender was not then part of the arts or cultural policy discourse in the country. Sources: Finland QPR, www.cupore.fi/en/publications/cupore-spublications/the-girl-plays-like-a-man. https://www.roskilde-festival.dk/en/sustainability/artistic-sustainability/koensbalancen-paa-plakaten/ 23