Fall 2019 Newsletter.

It’s been an exciting year and there’s much to celebrate! 

This time last year, we hosted our launch event “Women of the Arctic: Bridging Policy, Research & Lived Experience” at the 2018 UArctic Congress in Helsinki, Finland. Today, we’re thrilled to be sending you this newsletter as an official, registered non-profit association “Women of the Arctic” (WoA).

WoA emerged from our desire to contribute to efforts aimed at advancing gender equality in the Arctic and mainstreaming gender perspectives across various fields of Arctic dialogue.

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are both key to sustainable development, and to the sustainable future of the Arctic. Not only is gender equality a fundamental human right but it is also foundational to prosperous, peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies – both in the Arctic as elsewhere. Whether we are speaking about addressing the impacts of climate change, ensuring sustainable resource management, promoting economic growth, attaining food security, or increasing the well-being of northern communities, women play a critical role at all levels, from the local to the regional to global. Even with important progress being made, most countries in the world, including in the Arctic, have yet to reach full gender parity, equal representation, and pay, showing the need for further efforts.

Given that the Arctic is at the forefront of significant global changes, we believe it is high time to do things differently in the Arctic - on many fronts – and gender equality should be the landmark of these actions across all societal, political, and economic dimensions. We cannot have a sustainable world or a sustainable Arctic unless all genders and people(s) are considered equal and receive equal treatment.

This is why it is also high time to make gender Plan A for the Arctic. Below, you will find a snippet of our activities thus far and what is yet to come.

At the same time, we would like to use this occasion to thank everyone who has supported our efforts, shared their wisdom, advice, and enthusiasm, and encouraged us to pursue this work. Although we cannot thank everyone individually here, please know that “Women of the Arctic” is the culmination of many tremendous contributions, which you can read about on our website: www.genderisnotplanb.com.

With best wishes,
The WoA Team

WATCH OUR TRAILER.

WoA VIDEO INTERVIEW SERIES.

Together with What Took You So Long?, we conducted and produced a series of interviews with some of our speakers and participants at Women of the Arctic: Bridging Policy, Research & Lived Experience, a non-academic event co-organized with UArctic, hosted by the 2018 UArctic Congress, and supported with funding from NordForsk.

In a series of more than 100+ short videos, eleven women who live in, work on and engage with the Arctic share their perspectives on business, politics, gender-based violence, indigenous knowledge, science, education, arts, indigenous perspectives from Alaska and Russia, and more.

#WoA #WoATalk #WomenoftheArctic

INTRODUCING AURORA.

EVENTS.

Over the past year we’ve hosted and participated in various events, seeking to mainstream gender issues in Arctic debates, to bring a diversity of voices into ongoing discussions on gender in the Arctic, and to draw attention to the central role of gender equality in the sustainable development of the Arctic.

This autumn and winter, we’ll be at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2019 in Reykjavik, the Arctic Futures Symposium in Brussels, and Arctic Frontiers 2020 in Tromsø. We look forward to meeting you there!

WRITING & PRESS.

We’ve published in and been featured by various media outlets. Here are some select publications:

Women of the Arctic (Briefing Note, Arctic Yearbook)
Making Gender Equality Plan A in the Arctic (UArctic Shared Voices)
What could the Arctic learn about gender equality (High North News)

WHAT’S NEXT & HOW TO CONTRIBUTE!

Do you live in, work on, or engage with the Arctic? Do you want to promote gender equality in your community or professional setting? Would you like to share your views or experiences on matters related to gender in the Arctic?

As a digital storytelling platform, Plan A. seeks to provide a space where you can share your thoughts, views, and perspectives on women’s and gender-related issues across the Arctic. We are open to contributions in the form of op-eds, commentaries on past and present events, summaries of research findings, videos, audio, photo essays, and more.

We accept contributions on a rolling basis.

Have questions? Feel free to reach out at info@genderisnotplanb.com.

THE FACES OF WOMEN OF THE ARCTIC.

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, one of our goals is to create create a fuller and more accurate picture of Women of the Arctic – women in their homes, at work, in their communities, traveling. Women elders, mothers, sisters, daughters, and granddaughters. Portraits of individuals, friends, or families. If this is you, then please send us your photo at info@genderisnotplanb.com.

“Women of the Arctic” (WoA) is a non-profit association registered in Finland. It aims to raise awareness, support, and maintain a focus on women’s and gender-related issues in the Arctic. Its website www.genderisnotplanb.com serves as a digital storytelling platform, showcasing the personal and professional stories of Arctic women while also highlighting and promoting the inclusion of broader gender perspectives in all aspects of northern life.

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