Political Change, Women’s Rights, and Public Opinion on Gender Equality in Myanmar
Myanmar’s introduction of competitive elections after decades of military rule raised expectations for progress in economic and social development, including in the area of women’s rights. In this paper, we draw on data from two national surveys, interviews, and existing qualitative studies to explore public opinion on women’s rights and gender equality. Do Burmese people support gender equality? How are their views on gender related to other aspects of political culture, such as traditional values and views toward authoritarianism and democracy? Our objective is to gain better understanding of the opportunities and obstacles to egalitarian social change and democratic consolidation. Our analysis of survey data reveals that attitudes toward gender roles are conservative, traditional and anti-democratic beliefs are widespread, and these views are strongly associated. Our findings imply that tendencies in public opinion provide a resource for Burmese nationalist groups and politicians and an obstacle to activists seeking greater alignment with global norms on gender equality.
Nordic perspectives on European security: Norway
How does Norway relate to the various new European defence cooperation formats? Which states are Norway coordinating with when engaging in these projects? Is there unexploited potential for common Nordic initiatives within the European formats? Or do traditional security relationships still take precedence? These are the questions discussed in this chapter
Consequences for the seafood industry of termination of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement
The main aim of the project is the publication of a book in Norwegian about the consequences for the seafood industry if the EEA agreement is terminated. ...
Ten Years On: Reassessing the Stoltenberg Report on Nordic Cooperation
Ten years ago, the report ‘Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy’ was presented to the Nordic foreign ministers at an extraordinary meeting in Oslo, Norway. Penned and fronted by Norway’s former foreign minister Thorvald Stoltenberg, the report proposed thirteen ways in which Nordic cooperation in the foreign and security domain could be formalized and strengthened. In this review, we revisit these thirteen proposals and ask: How important was the 2009 Stoltenberg Report for boosting Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation? What progress can we observe in the decade that has passed since the report was released?
Den flerhodede dragen – Mot en ny modell for kinesisk utenrikspolitikk?
Societal development in China in the past few decades has made pluralism a central feature in the way Chinese policy is decided and implemented. Old formal actors are now facing competition from new, informal actors in both public and civil spheres. As a consequence, China’s formal foreign policy is now but one of many voices outwards. On the basis of a systematic description of important actors and lines of governance in today’s China, in this article I argue that the state of affairs can be described as «pluralized authoritarianism». The model is illustrated with an analysis of China’s behaviour in the South China Sea in the period 2007–2012.
Can Aid Solve the Root Causes of Migration? A Framework for Future Research on the Development-Migration Nexus
An important dimension of the European Union’s response to the 2015 refugee and migration management crisis has been to address the root causes of irregular migration. A major tool the EU has to mitigate push factors of migration is development assistance. Yet, the literature shows that the casual relationship between aid and migration is complex and far from obvious. This article summarises the ongoing debates and major findings concerning the development-migration nexus in order to better inform policymakers about the potential risks and shortcomings of using aid in migration management. It suggests a framework for future research on what kind of assistance might work, for whom, and where.
CANCELLED: Navigating the European landscape after Brexit: new alliances and European choices for the next decades
In light of the latest developments regarding the Covid-19 virus, we have decided to cancel this event.
Mathilde Tomine Eriksdatter Giske
Mathilde Tomine Eriksdatter Giske is a Research Fellow in the Research group on Security on Defence, working on the «Re-Engaging with Neighbours i...