Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Finnish Minister of Social Security, has led the Nordic ministers’ co-operation on gender equality and LGBTI issues during the Finnish and Ålandic presidency in 2025.

“Our commitment to the Pushing for Progress initiative remains strong even after our presidency year, and we wish Denmark and the Faroe Islands every success in taking the initiative forwards during their upcoming presidency. It’s important that we gain more support for our initiative and strengthen the coalition of countries committed to promoting gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and equal rights for LGBTI people,” she says.

During the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Nordic Council of Ministers, led by Finland and Åland, hosted several meetings and discussions focusing on issues related to the push-back of women’s rights as part of Pushing for Progress. Among other things, a meeting was held between the Nordic ministers for gender equality and UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous.

“Together, we can more effectively support the UN and influence international policy in this work, but also support each other through the exchange of knowledge, joint statements, and a joint gender equality programme,” says Åland’s Minister for Gender Equality Arsim Zekaj, who shared this year’s presidency with Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

This was the first time the presidency was shared, which Åland and Finland saw as positive and as something that has strengthened and deepened co-operation at both the Nordic and international levels.

Men and masculinity on the agenda

During the autumn of 2025, a series of seminars was held to highlight how social norms affect men and boys, the role of men in crises, and how men and boys can promote ‘positive masculinity’ in order to improve knowledge and stimulate discussion about men and masculinity in the Nordic and Baltic countries. NIKK (Nordic Information on Gender) produced a publication reviewing how earlier initiatives and documentation from the Nordic Council of Ministers have addressed men and masculinity and shed light on the perspectives that were missing, with the aim of guiding Nordic gender equality policy going forwards.

During the year, the 30th anniversary of the UN Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was also marked. The Nordic ministers discussed the action programme and the anniversary from a Nordic perspective during the Equality Days in Vantaa, an annual Finnish gender equality conference.

“We’re delighted that I was able to celebrate this milestone together with my Nordic ministerial colleagues in October in connection with the Equality Days event in Vantaa. We discussed the significance of the Beijing Declaration and Nordic success stories,” concludes minister Grahn-Laasonen.