Josefine Krantz awarded 2019 Union Hero Award

This year’s Union Hero award given at the LO Youth Forum was given to Josefine Krantz, an active member of the Swedish Painters Union (MALAREFÖRBUNDET) and national spokesperson for Malinriktade, Inspirerande, Respekterade, Accepterade (MIRA). In English it means, Goal Oriented, Inspiring, Respected, and Accepted.

In an interview Krantz did with BWI in September 2018, she explained the importance of MIRA. She stated that, “MIRA, gives women members strength to stand up against discrimination and harassment; encourage each other to run for trade union leadership positions; educate each other; and prepare each other for any challenges we may face.”

In addition to being active in Sweden, Josefine Krantz was recently elected as Titular member for Country Group 1 (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) of the BWI European Regional Women’s Committee during the BWI European Regional Conference that was held in Adana last November. She was also elected Vice-Chair of the Committee for period of 2020-2021 along with Ivana Dimitrova (SGIP-Macedonia) as part of BWI’s efforts to promote young women into leadership positions in BWI structures.

“We are extremely pleased that the LO recognizes the important contributions of Josefine Krantz in promoting the rights of women in her union and the trade union movement in Sweden. She is just as active in BWI and is part of a new generation of young women who are the future women leaders of BWI,” stated Rita Schiavi, Chair of the BWI International Women’s Committee.