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Sweden arranges conference on men and gender equality

Sweden will arrange the 4th International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities, ICMEO, in Stockholm on 15-16 May 2018. The Swedish Minister for Gender Equality, Lena Hallengren, will host the conference with international high-level participants also being featured in the programme. The Swedish Gender Equality Agency co-arranges the conference on behalf of the Swedish Minister of Gender Equality.


After being hosted by Germany, Austria and Luxemburg, Sweden is now to run with the ball. The 4th ICMEO conference in Stockholm focuses on change of social norms and stereotypes as ways to strengthen focus on men and boys and their role in gender equality politics and efforts. What are the best ways to engage men and boys for gender equality?

ICMEO is organized in cooperation with Swedish Agency for Gender Equality, which is also responsible for one of the six seminars. The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, the Swedish National Agency for Education, The Public Health Agency of Sweden and MÄN are also organizing one seminar each.

This year’s ICMEO theme is “Masculinity and norm critical approaches: Gender equality work with boys and young men”. Challenging norms for masculinity promotes gender equality and better opportunities for all, and is especially important in work with youth. How do social norms change, and what are the best ways to engage men and boys for gender equality, and a lifestyle with opportunities which reach beyond stereotypical norms?

Day one, May 15, will have an international perspective, and parts of day two more of a Nordic profile, as Sweden holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers during 2018.

Lena Ag, Director General of Swedish Gender Equality Agency, is participating in a panel discussion on how to turn boys and young men into actors of change using a norm-critical approach. Swedish Gender Equality Agency is also arranging a workshop on Nordic work with violence prevention among young men, including honour-related violence.

Updated 20 November 2019