Honour-based violence and oppression is a serious violation of people’s fundamental rights and freedoms. The violence and oppression is based on strongly patriarchal and heteronormative beliefs and constitutes a major obstacle to achieving gender equality and the realisation of LGBTI rights.

The Swedish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2024 has initiated a project on honour-based violence and oppression. NIKK has been commissioned to conduct a review of how the Nordic countries, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland, work with honour-based violence and oppression in various aspects.

The study will provide an overview of the work in the Nordic region by highlighting how the concept of honour-based violence and oppression is defined, what problems/challenges are identified and how the work to meet them is organised The study will also include a review of national legislation on honour-based violence and oppression. A LGBTI perspective must be included in all parts. This applies both to specific problem formulations and initiatives relating to the group, and when LGBTI people are integrated into broad formulations/initiatives.

The study will be based on national policy documents, key actors’ missions and their implementation. Experts from government agencies and ministries will be consulted, to capture experiences and lessons learnt on what can be considered successful and effective work.

The aim of the project is to provide a unique and comprehensive picture of the work against honour-related violence and oppression in the Nordic region. By also including honour-based violence and oppression affecting young LGBTI people, the project makes an important contribution to making the extent and complexity of the violence visible, as well as the vulnerability of the LGBTI group. The result creates conditions for exchange at the policy level and enables a strengthened and expanded Nordic co-operation between key actors at the authority level in the region. Involving the authorities in the implementation of the project is expected to contribute to making the overall results of the project accessible and relevant for stakeholders. A long-term and strategic goal is for the project to contribute to the development of work against honour-based violence and oppression in the Nordic region.

Project timespan
2024 – 2025

Commissioned by
Nordic Council of Ministers

Contact
Deepati Forsberg

Project budget
1 300 000 DKK