Governing Gender Equality Policy: Pathways in a Changing Nordic Welfare State (Gender and Politics)

This book analyses the effects of public governance reforms on gender equality policy in Finland. Recent economic crises, rising austerity and increasing opposition to gender equality have led to the defunding of gender equality bodies, and the side-lining of gender equality as a political goal. This policy backlash has taken place alongside transformations to the state and governance, that have changed the discourses, knowledge, actors, and practices of gender equality policy. This book contributes to these discussions by demonstrating the subtleties of the constantly changing governance reform agendas, their operation in practice, and how they intertwine with other elements of the gender equality policy backlash. It is based on more than 100 interviews with civil servants, politicians, non-governmental organisations, social partners, and think tanks, and a broad range of policy documents and media material. It will appeal to students and scholars of gender studies, public policy and governance. This is an open access book. Ethics Approval Acknowledgements Contents About the Authors List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction: Governing Gender Equality Policy in Changing State Introduction Feminists Theorise Public Governance: Locating Our Focus and Contribution Zooming in on Four Trends in Public Governance Reform Analysing Governance Reforms and Their Effects as Context-Specific: Focus on Finland Methodological Starting Points Structure of the Book References Chapter 2: Theorising Shifting Public Governance from a Feminist Perspective Introduction Integrated Theoretical Framework for Feminist Analysis of Public Governance Post-structuralist Approaches to Governance Feminist Political Economy Approaches to Governance Feminist Institutionalist Approaches to Governance Economisation What Is Economisation? Economisation as a Gendered Process and Economisation of Gender Equality Policy Depoliticisation Depoliticisation as the Denial of Contingency Depoliticisation as the Sidelining of Gendered Power Two-Dimensional Approach to Depoliticisation Analysing Gender Equality–Economy Relations References Chapter 3: Strategic Governance and the Shifting Form of Gender Equality Policy Introduction Strategic Governance as Managerial Governance From Ideas to Implementation: Strategic Governance Reform of 2015 Action Plans for Gender Equality as Governance Tools Instrumentalisation and Sidelining of Gender Equality Policy Narrowing the Scope of Gender Equality Policy Technocratisation of Gender Equality Policy Conclusions References Chapter 4: Workfare Reform and Family Leave Policy Introduction From Welfare to Workfare: A Gendered Process Family Policies and Gender Equality Policies in Finland The First Round: Family Leave Reform as an Employment Reform Women as Targets of Workfare The Second Round: Family Policy as an Investment Women’s Reproductive Labour in the Welfare State Reform Conclusions References Chapter 5: Economic Governance and Gender Budgeting Introduction Gender Budgeting as an International Public Governance Fashion Economic Governance, Restructuring of Welfare States and Depoliticisation Constructions of Gender Equality in Gender Budgeting Practices Understandings of Economy in Gender Budgeting Making Gendered Impacts Visible: Institutional and Political Hurdles Changes in Economic Governance Constrain Gender Budgeting Economic Governance Reforms Constrain Gender Equality Policy Conclusions References Chapter 6: Evidence-Based Policy and Feminist Knowledge Introduction Evidence-Based Policy-Making and Changing Knowledge-Policy Relations Professionalisation of Gender Equality Policy and Transformation of Feminist Knowledge Feminist Interventions in Economic Policies in Finland Feminist Experts Meet Economics’ Gatekeepers Feminists Becoming Economic Experts Strategic Partnerships with Credible Knowledge Producers Exclusionary Practices of Gender Expertise Conclusions References Chapter 7: Conclusions Introduction A Silent Backlash Co-optation Versus Strategic Openings: The Subtle Transformativity of Feminist Strategies Gender Equality–Economy Relations References Appendix Research Projects and Data Index