Paulina Brandberg is Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and leads the Nordic ministers’ co-operation on gender equality and LGBTI issues in 2024. She notes that gender equality is a core Nordic value and is particularly important at a time when resistance to gender equality and equal rights for LGBTI people is increasing.

“During Sweden’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2024, we will work to ensure that Nordic co-operation continues to be a strong voice in the defence of gender equality, the rights of women and girls, and equal rights for LGBTI people in the Nordic Region and beyond.”

Focus on anti-violence projects

During its presidency, Sweden will focus in particular on combating men’s violence against women, other violence in close relationships and honour-related violence and oppression. Minister for Gender Equality Paulina Brandberg hopes that new projects and collaborations will contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge and an active and mutual Nordic exchange of experience on these issues.

“Honour-related violence and oppression is a major social problem that violates and limits fundamental rights and freedoms. For me as Minister for Gender Equality, it is important that all victims receive the right support and protection, including LGBTI people. For this reason, Sweden is initiating a major Nordic study to map the work against honour-related violence in the Nordic Region in 2024-2025.”

Nordic presence on the international stage

During the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March 2024, Sweden and the Nordic Council of Ministers hosted several Nordic events on economic equality and economic empowerment.

“Women and men should have equal power to shape society and their own lives. An important prerequisite for this is to increase economic equality. Economic equality is also central to the prevention of violence.”

Important initiatives in the LGBTI field

The working conditions of transgender people is one of the projects for which the Presidency has allocated special funds. Paulina Brandberg hopes that knowledge of the working conditions of trans people can be increased and highlighted through dialogue and exchange of experience between Nordic actors in the field, including through a Nordic conference in October.

“In the Nordic Region and internationally, working conditions for trans people as a group are worse than for the majority population. Several Nordic studies indicate that the unemployment rate for trans people is higher and they are also a group that is particularly vulnerable to discrimination, harassment and threats.”

Follow Nordic co-operation in the field of gender equality and LGBTI on the websites: www.norden.org and www.nikk.no and on NIKK’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.