Föreningen JA! // The YES! Association

Below you can read the Agreement that the YES! Association proposed to set up between YES! and the institutions hosting the exhibition Art Feminism - Strategies and effects in Sweden from the 1970s up to the present day; Dunkers Kulturhus, Liljevalchs konsthall, Hälsinglands Museum, Gothenburg’s Museum and Riksutställningar (Swedish Travelling Exhibitions). The Agreement was made public at Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg, 15th of October 2005. It was through the declaration of this agreement that the YES! Association was founded.

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JÄMLIKHETSAVTALET (EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AGREEMENT)

The content of the Agreement

The institutions hereby agree to observe equality regarding gender and ethnicity in exhibition programming, acquisitions and staff recruitment.

Equal practice in relation to gender

According to this agreement, an equal exhibition program in relation to gender means that at least half of the exhibited works should be made by women. The practice would still be seen as equal should more than half of the works be made by women, as female artists have been, and still are, underrepresented at the state funded art institutions.

According to this agreement, an equal acquisition policy in relation to gender means that at least half of all acquired works should be made by women. The acquisition budget should be equally divided between the sexes. The institutions should aim for the entire collection to reach these standards.

According to this agreement, an equal staff recruitment policy in relation to gender means that at least half of the positions advertised after the agreement has been signed should be filled by women. The institutions should have equal distribution of men and women across salary levels as a long term goal.

Equal practice in relation to ethnicity

According to this agreement, an equal practice in relation to ethnicity means that the institutions’ selection of authors should reflect the ethnic diversity of society. The institutions are responsible to find current information about the ethnic make up of society from Statistics Sweden (Statistiska Centralbyrån) or other trustworthy sources.

According to this agreement, an equal acquisition policy in relation to ethnicity means that the acquisitions of the institution should reflect the ethnic diversity of society in regard to authors of the works. The institutions’ acquisition budget should take this under consideration. The institutions should constantly aim for its complete collection to reflect the ethnic diversity that currently exists in Sweden.

According to this agreement, an equal staff recruitment policy in relation to ethnicity means that the positions that are advertised after the agreement has been signed should be filled in a way that reflects the ethnic composition of society at the time. The institutions should have as a long term goal to mirror, across salary levels, the ethnic make up of society.

Evaluation

The exhibition programming, the acquisitions and the staff recruitment will be evaluated every two years. The first evaluation will take place two years following the date when the first institution signed the agreement. The next evaluation will take place after another two years, and so on. The agreement has no expiry date.

Sanction

If, after evaluation, an institution is found not to be in compliance with this agreement, the institution will have to pay a fine of 10 000 SEK (to be adjusted yearly by percentage in relation to the base amount), for each percentage of deficient distribution in regards to gender or ethnicity within the exhibition programming, acquisitions and recruitment. The fine is payable to the YES! Association’s fund, which has been established to financially support artists who have been victims of discrimination due to their gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Other

If the terms of this agreement have not been fulfilled and the failure is due to the institution’s duties as prescribed by employment legislation, the institution will not be held accountable. Each institution is bound to this agreement upon ratification by the institution’s representative.

Signatures

The YES! Association and the institutions each have a copy of this agreement.

Helsingborg, October 15^th 2005