Finns put men on top of agenda

Finland hopes to set the agenda for future EU presidencies by fighting for men’s rights this week.

Conclusions on ‘men and gender equality’, due to be adopted at a meeting of EU health ministers on 1 December, follow an October conference on the same subject, hosted by the Finns, current EU?presidency holders.

Finland believes specifically male concerns have until now been overshadowed by the women’s rights movement. It hopes the conclusions could put gender equality for men "on the agenda for the interest of future presidencies", according to a Finnish official. "If we want to empower women we have to look at the role of men," he explained.

Issues needing attention include male health problems and differences in sex education, said the official. "Sex education is most often focused on girls…that puts the burden of responsibility, for example for condom use, on girls," he said.

Cultural and social differences affecting men’s health should also be examined, he added.

He said Finland was optimistic about winning national support for the conclusions on Friday, although "this is a new theme in many countries and we were at first afraid there might be misunderstandings or resistance."

Finland hopes to set the agenda for future EU presidencies by fighting for men’s rights this week.