In 2020, a targeted call for proposals was issued with the aim of combating gender segregation in the labour market. The call gave those who were granted funding the opportunity to work longer-term for change in Nordic co-operation projects lasting up to four years. The call targeted co-operation projects intending to develop and implement relevant solutions to problems related to the gender-segregated labour market. The targeted call comprised four million DKK in total.
The information on this page is based on the guidelines adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Equality (MR-JÄM).
Since 2013, through a gender equality fund, the Nordic Council of Ministers has funded projects in which at least three organisations from at least three of the Nordic countries have co-operated to promote gender equality. Thanks to this co-operation, knowledge is growing and being disseminated widely. We are finding common solutions and learning from each other. The new call for proposals under this programme is a way of augmenting this work further, and is in the form of a targeted call for proposals amounting to a total of DKK 4 million over a four-year period, which will enable the actors receiving funding to work for long-term change.
The Nordic Council of Ministers welcomes applications with proposals aimed at combating gender segregation in the labour market. The Nordic Co-Operation Programme for Gender Equality 2019–2022 highlights the continued challenge that the gender-segregated labour market poses in the Nordic countries. Gender segregation has different consequences for men than for women in many areas – in terms of power and influence, health, and quality of life. Breaking the trend and achieving a more balanced distribution between men and women, between and within sectors, is essential for a sustainable labour market that makes the best use of the potential of both women and men. In the Nordic countries, the proportion of women with higher education is higher than for men. However, education choices are marked by gender stereotypes from an early age, which is apparent, for example, in the gender divides that exist between many study programmes and how children’s gender roles are shaped early in life. Other important aspects are the right to full-time work, equal pay, and freedom from sexual harassment.
The four-year time frame for the projects provides a foundation for working long term. The call targets co-operation projects intending to develop and implement relevant solutions to problems related to the gender-segregated labour market. The application must contain a clear analysis of the identified problems, set goals based on this analysis, and give reasons for choosing processes, actions and activities that are relevant to the process of change to be implemented in order to achieve the goals.
When the project is completed, it should be clear what the key success factors were and what lessons can be learned from what did not work. Based on their actual work, each financed co-operation project will be required to report its results in the form of a knowledge base to the Nordic Council of Ministers which will enable others to learn lessons and develop the generated knowledge further.
Collaboration between different types of actors is essential for breaking the gender segregation trend in the labour market. Yet it is common that initiatives for change in the area of gender equality are carried out in project form within similar organisations rather than in collaborations between the various actors involved. With this call for proposals, the Nordic Council of Ministers hopes to address this neglected need and achieve real, lasting change by targeting the call to proposals for change projects carried out in collaborations between:
It should be apparent in the application that the change initiative will be implemented by at least two different types of actors, for example government agencies in collaboration with volunteer organisations, motivated by the fact that this is a constellation that is needed to achieve change.
The call comprises a total of around DKK 4 million, which will be allocated to 2-3 projects to be implemented over a four-year period. The amount of funding applied for should be between DKK 1–2 million. Organisations applying for grants need to be able to contribute at least 20 per cent themselves and/or have other sources of finance. The organisation’s own contribution and/or other sources of funding could come from sponsorship or other financial contributions, voluntary work, participant fees, or indirect costs for example.
Funding will not be given for audits or travel expenses (with the exception of travel expenses for representatives of volunteer organisations, not-for-profit organisations, and invited speakers). Funding cannot be provided to cover indirect costs, such as the support organisation’s salaries and other running costs (such as rent, electricity, IT). Successful applicants may be granted a lower total amount of funding than they have applied for in all or in parts of their applications.
Each project must involve at least the three Nordic countries, where the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Aaland Islands may constitute one of these only. In addition, grants can be awarded to activities that include cooperation in neighbouring areas, i.e. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and north-west Russia, that also include at least two Nordic countries. The principal applicant should come from a Nordic country or the Faroe Islands, Greenland, or the Aaland Islands.
This call funds activities initiated in the same year as the funding is granted and which are completed within four years of the commencement date. Activities commenced before the application deadline are not eligible for funding. Funding will not either be granted for:
Funding applications are to indicate how well the project meets the following criteria:
This means the extent to which the project:
Here, the assessment will be based on how well the application:
This refers to the extent to which the project:
Here, the assessment will be based on how well the application:
This means the degree to which the project’s:
Here, the assessment will be based on how well the application:
Implementation means here:
Here, the assessment will be based on how well the application:
Organisations applying for grants need to be able to contribute at least 20 per cent themselves and/or have other sources of funding. The organisation’s own contribution and/or other sources of funding could come from sponsorship or other financial contributions, voluntary work, participant fees, or indirect costs for example.
The amount applied for should be between DKK 1–2 million.
The application must be accompanied by a budget containing all items specified in DKK, and include the total amount. Self-funding and total funding must be made apparent in the budget. The budget should explicitly state what the funding amount applied for is intended to cover in the total budget.
Funding will not be given for audits or travel expenses (with the exception of travel expenses for representatives of volunteer organisations, not-for-profit organisations, and invited speakers). Funding cannot be provided to cover indirect costs, such as the support organisation’s salaries and other running costs (such as rent, electricity, IT).