During 2005 the Network has been trying to raise the awareness within UBC and its member-cities on the importance of becoming a gender balanced organisation able to meet demographic and other challenges in the region and the European Union. In the General Conference in Turku 31.10.-1.11.05 the members elected 2 women to the new Presidium.  It is most promising, now we have got 50/50 in the Presidium, perhaps soon UBC can proudly present a  50/50 Board, too!

In the Network’s meeting in Turku 1.10. it was decided to change the name of the Network to UBC Gender Equality Network to include men in the work combating prejudices, stereotypes and cultural patriarchal attitudes that in a gender-based power structure undermine women as independent autonomous actors in all spheres of life. 

UBC Gender Equality Network thus invites both men and women to participate in the activities! Joining forces of respect and tolerance eliminating stereotypes, prejudice, violence, prostitution and trafficking is crucial to advance towards gender equality. Directly linked to gender equality issues in the communities is to raise the awareness on EU legislation on equality and non-discrimination, strive towards equal pay for equal work and equal representation in all sectors of decision-making ensuring that women are represented in all bodies set up. It is important also to ensure that the specific activities on gender equality in the communities are funded.

UBC Gender Equality Network was represented at the 4^th International Conference “WoMen and Democracy” 6.-8.10. gathering  more than 500 participants from 12 countries plus delegations from regions and international organisations. The conference hosted by St. - Petersburg City and The Nordic Council of Ministers focused on three main topics “WoMan and Power”, WoMan and Violence” and  “WoMan and Economics”. The initiator of the event to be held in the city,  Elena Kalinina, head of St-Petersburg Social and Economic Institute, described the objective of the conference as not only “to discuss the current situation but also to lay down some new ways of development and cooperation”. UBC and UBC Gender Equality Network was presented by a stand and interviewed for the TV-news.

The opening took place in the White Column Hall in Smolny, a  hall where the students of the first Russian female educational institute met with their parents. In her opening speech the Governor of Saint-Petersburg V.I.Matviyenko also referred to the city as the first place from where the idea of emancipation spread to the other Russian cities.  According to Vice-governor Liudmila Kostkina the positions of woman in political sphere are still unstable in the city even if much has been done by the St.-Petersburg Social and Economic Institute, the League of Women’s Voters and the St.-Petersburg Women’s Parliament. Women’s position in the labour market also haven’t improved. Both men and women feel the burden of market but the analysis show evidence of  a considerable change for the worse for women.

St Petersburg is the window to Europe and looks better in the comparison to Russia in general: it has a woman governor, the third part of the city government is female and there is a special bureau on realization of equal rights attached to the city government.

I thank the host and organisers that UBC was given the  possibility to participate in the planning and in the conference. This conference gave new ideas  and the possibility to establish and strengthen many horizontal connections.

Ulla Lundqvist

Coordinator of UBC Gender Equality Network