Activity of Miesjaosto [Men's Section]

MJ is a section of the Council for Gender Equality, TANE (see above). It prepares questions and issues for TANE that are especially relevant to men and boys and also undertakes initiatives of its own. For each governmental term (after an election, when the government has been formed) TANE appoints the sections it regards as necessary to assist in its work. For the last eight governmental terms (four years) MJ has been one of the sections it has nominated; the current MJ is the 8th.

Objectives are:

• to raise men's interest in gender equality work, by initiating public discussions and by investigating and undertaking initiatives on matters concerning men and boys
• to provide and strengthen a men's perspective on matters being dealt with in the Council
• to support and strengthen collaboration between actors in the men's movement and between these actors and feminist movements
• to participate in actions aimed at reducing domestic violence
• to promote gender awareness and sensitivity in early education
• to continuously participate in critical discussions on how gender & sexuality is pictured in the media
• to support the status of masculinity research
• to participate in international and particularly in Nordic collaboration activities
• to perform tasks assigned to it by the Council, such as planning and preparation of statements, position papers, publications and seminars