By Joanna Kafarowski

I have always found women’s conferences to be particularly rich venues for networking, sharing professional and personal experiences, and for just getting the job done.  The Taking Wing Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic that I attended as a member of the Canadian delegation in August 2002, in Saariselka, Finland, was no exception.  Sponsored primarily by the Arctic Council, the Finnish government, and the Nordic Council of Ministers, this conference highlighted the need to raise awareness about the status of women in the circumpolar North.  The conference deepened my understanding of, and passion for, the issue of gender and natural resources in the North and convinced me that the Arctic Council was an effective mechanism for providing future guidance for women of the north. 

The Arctic Council and Its Programs Addressing Natural Resources

Formed as an intergovernmental forum for cooperation between national governments and indigenous peoples, the Arctic Council was initiated in September 1996 upon the signing of the Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council by officials of the eight circumpolar nations (Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Finland).  Additionally, six international organizations representing Arctic indigenous peoples—the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Gwich’in Council International, the Aleut International Association, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, the Arctic Athabaskan Council, and the Saami Council, are Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council and are involved on an equal footing with national governments.  Observers to the Arctic Council include European non-Arctic countries as well as non-governmental organizations and other international organizations, including the Association of World Reindeer Herders and the International Arctic Social Sciences Association. 

Environmental monitoring, assessment and protection are critical components of the Council’s agenda.  Scientifically-based decision-making informed by the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples is a deeply rooted principle that has been put into practice by this regional body.  Dialogue between scientists, policy planners, Arctic residents, and political decision-makers is ongoing.  Current programs developed by the Arctic Council include: 

·     Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP): addresses risks posed to human health and wildlife by persistent organic pollutants

·            Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): deals with biodiversity, conservation and protected areas

·            Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR): develops risk analysis measures with particular attention to oil spills

·            Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME): provides guidelines for offshore resource development, pollutants and other forms of protection for the marine ecosystem

·            Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG): focuses on socio-cultural issues including health, tourism, and youth

·     Arctic Council Action Plan to Eliminate Pollution of the Arctic (ACAP): addresses the evaluation and reduction of pollutants

·     The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment project (ACIA): examines the environmental, health, social, cultural and economic impacts and consequences of climate change. 

The Arctic Council and the Taking Wing Conference 2002

The Arctic Council is an advisory forum that makes recommendations to separate national governments and other international bodies.  The Taking Wing Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic 2002 was designed to give voice to women in expressing their experiences, views and interests regarding future action in the region.  Most significantly, the conference proposed to develop ideas and projects for further action to be taken by the Arctic Council and other relevant institutions.  According to conference organizers, “the economic, environmental, political, and cultural changes of Arctic societies have had a strong impact on the economic and cultural positions of women and men.  However, questions of energy, economy, and the environment tend to dominate the political visions concerning the Arctic area.  The everyday life of women is mostly missing in this context.”  Ambassador Peter Stenlund, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials stated, “It goes without saying that the promotion of sustainable development in the Arctic cannot be successful without the full engagement of women in developing indigenous and other local communities, in local and regional administration, in traditional and new industries and in circumpolar and other international cooperation.” 

The conference focused on three broad themes: women and work, gender and the self-determination of indigenous people, and violence against women.  The women and work section of the conference was divided into four workshop areas, including one on “Natural Resources, Use of Land and Land Rights.”  The theme of this workshop was introduced in a keynote address by Norwegian political scientist Bente Aasjord on “Where Have All the Fishes Gone?  Men Shaping the Marine Arctic Future.”  Aasjord noted that women in Arctic fisheries rarely have access to or participate in decision-making processes and positions of power within fisheries management, despite the prominent role that women play as fishers, workers in processing industries, and in support positions within the family and the greater coastal community.  Aasjord (2002: 43) asks:

Why are fishery policy and resource management Arctic women’s business? Because women in the coastal Arctic depend on fisheries just as much as men do.  Because all of the Arctic countries are democracies where women count as half of the citizens.  Because UN recommendations and legislation state that concerned groups should have access to information and participation in resource management bodies.  Because the gentlemen managing the fish resources today have not really convinced us that they do a good enough job.  Because the future fishery sector and the well being of the communities dependent on fisheries are not sufficiently taken care of by a monoculture of men joining together in meeting after meeting, confirming their own perceptions.  It is neither democratic nor healthy. 

The paper which I presented reflected one of my primary research areas and was entitled, “Women and Natural Resources in the Circumpolar North: Striving for Sustainable Development Through Leadership.”  In keeping with the objectives of the conference, this paper was grounded in theory but designed to offer guidance to the Arctic Council regarding the role of Arctic women in natural resource management.  In particular, my paper investigated four areas: 

·     Why should women be involved as leaders in natural resources?

·     What are the constraining factors preventing women from attaining leadership positions in natural resources?

·     What are the enabling factors assisting women in attaining leadership positions in natural resources?

·     What is the role of the Arctic Council in ensuring that more women become involved in leadership positions in natural resources? 

I concluded:

As Northern women’s leadership roles in natural resources are strengthened, so too is their ability to influence the decision-making process and effect change in the local and global communities . . . ultimately, sustainable development will be met through addressing Northern women’s economic, political and socio-cultural needs (Kafarowski, 2002:  78). 

The third presentation addressing Arctic women and natural resources was given by Irja Seurajarvi-Kari, Vice-President of the Saami Parliament in Finland.  Seurajarvi-Kari’s presentation on “Indigenous Women and Sustainable Development—Identity and Land Rights” examined the ecological framework underpinning Saami culture and the role of Saami women in maintaining and revitalizing this culture.  Seurajarvi-Kari’s presentation was especially meaningful to conference participants as Taking Wing was held in the heart of Finnish Saami territory and Saami culture and traditions provided a rich backdrop to the conference.   

Conference Recommendations

Following the conclusion of this three day conference, recommendations were made to the Arctic Council to “improve the overall well-being and health of women in the Arctic and contribute to sustainable development and improved quality of life in the individual member states and the Arctic region as a whole.  The overriding recommendation was to establish a baseline and dynamic database of comparative information on gender issues across all member states.”  These recommendations included: 

·            Mainstream gender equality in the Arctic Council.

·     Work for balanced participation of indigenous and non-indigenous women and men in Arctic decision-making.

·            Recognize, legislate, and implement full equality between women and men in resource ownership and management, including land rights and use of land.

·            Advance women’s economic situation with a focus on entrepreneurship and employment.

·            Promote capacity building and education by and for women in the Arctic.

·            Support networking among Arctic women. 

New Projects

Several relevant projects have been initiated by member states of the Arctic Council and are currently under development.  One such project is the Arctic Human Development Report in which one chapter will be devoted to gender issues.  This report will reflect the impact of social, economic, and cultural change on Arctic communities.  This was one of the crosscutting themes of the conference.  Another proposed project in preliminary stages is entitled “Women and Indigenous Peoples’ Participation in Decision-Making Processes in Arctic Fisheries Resource Management.”  Spearheaded by faculty and students at the Northern Feminist University in Steigen, Norway, this project will be presented for approval to the Arctic Council in April 2003 as a project under the Sustainable Development Working Group.  In the months to come, more projects will undoubtedly be developed that advance the recommendations of this conference and further improve the status of women in the circumpolar North. 

Arctic Council website: www.arctic-council.org

References

Aasjord, B.  2002.  Where have all the fishes gone?  Men shaping the marine Arctic fishery.  IN Taking Wing Conference Report:  Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic,  3-6 August, 2002, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Helsinki, Finland, pp. 36-44. 

Kafarowski, J.  2002.  Women and natural resources in the circumpolar North: Striving for sustainable development through leadership.  IN Taking Wing Conference Report:  Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic,  3-6 August, 2002,  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Helsinki, Finland, pp. 73-78. 

Seurajarvi-Kari- I.  2002.  Indigenous women and sustainable development-identity and land rights.  IN Taking Wing Conference Report:  Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic,  3-6 August, 2002,  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Helsinki, Finland, pp. 78-82.