Honour-based violence and oppression constitute a violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms. This violence is based on patriarchal and heteronormative ideas and undermines both gender equality and the rights of LGBTI people.

The purpose of this publication is to provide an overview of the work being done to combat honour-based violence and oppression in the Nordic region. The publication describes the strategic work being done in this area, focusing on how honour-based violence and oppression are defined, the problems and challenges that have been identified, and how the work to address these is organised. Furthermore, the publication contains an overview and analysis of national policy documents and other relevant material dealing with the vulnerability of LGBTI persons to violence, as well as a review and analysis of national criminal law legislation related to honour-based violence and oppression.

Honour-based violence and oppression in the Nordic countries

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The Nordic Council of Ministers regularly publishes reports aimed at providing a basis for the development of gender equality policy in relation to various social challenges. In recent years, the concept of masculinity has begun to be referenced repeatedly in such publications. But what does it mean that men and masculinity are highlighted in these reports? How are the concepts of men and masculinity used and how are problems, causes and solutions constructed? This publication analyses twelve gender equality policy reports published by the Nordic Council of Ministers between 2019 and 2024. Based on current scientific discussions, perspectives are provided on previous initiatives and a basis for how research can guide Nordic gender equality policy going forward.

Masculinity in Nordic gender equality policy 2019–2024

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The financial crisis, pandemic, war and climate threats of recent years show that the global risk landscape is changing rapidly and that the threats to our societies are becoming increasingly interconnected and complex.  Experience from the COVID-19 pandemic shows that the resilience of welfare is crucial, both for good and equal health and for functioning societies in general. At the same time, today’s challenges in health and social care are considerable. When does a crisis begin and who decides? How can we strengthen our crisis preparedness and increase the resilience of Nordic welfare?  

In this publication, researchers in global public health, economic history, demography, sociology and social work contribute reflections from a gender perspective in four essays. Based on their research findings, they open up new perspectives, questions and possible solutions for future crises.

Welfare resilience during crises in the Nordic region

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LGBTI people in the Nordic region who belong to multiple minorities are in a particularly vulnerable position. These are groups that are exposed to multiple forms of discrimination and marginalisation based on, for example, racism, homophobia and ableism. Studies show that LGBTI people with non-normative functional abilities or a foreign background report higher levels of bullying, violence, threats and hate crime than other LGBTI people.

Several projects funded by the Nordic Gender Equality Fund and the Nordic LGBTI Fund focus on issues affecting LGBTI people who belong to multiple minorities. This publication provides an insight into the Nordic cooperation projects – the problems and challenges they have identified, how they have addressed them and the concrete results they have achieved.

The publication aims to highlight the living conditions of LGBTI people who belong to multiple minorities and to disseminate knowledge and experiences from the projects so that they become more sustainable, benefit more people and inspire others to engage in Nordic cooperation.

“Standing out even in groups to which you belong”

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Today, women in the Nordics are among the most active labour market participants in the world, but the goal of equal conditions in the labour market is far from being achieved. One of the clearest indicators of this are pay differentials between women and men. To help reduce the pay differentials the Nordic Council of Ministers has initiated a project on pay equity, which, among other things, has resulted in this publication.

This publication discusses various explanations for the undervaluation of women’s work in a gender-segregated labour market, based on a survey of social partners and other key stakeholders in the Nordic countries. A background review of various statistics of gender pay gaps is provided with the aim of illustrating the underlying factors. Various aspects of the survey highlighted by the respondents are also discussed, drawing on relevant research.

Towards pay equity: Explaining the undervaluation of women’s work in the Nordic countries

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In the Nordic countries the living conditions of many LGBTI people are worse than those of the majority population. Trans people are a particularly vulnerable group who face various obstacles in life, not least working life. Prejudice and poor treatment affect recruitment processes, working environments and opportunities for career development. These conditions, characterised by significant barriers, can have serious consequences for trans people’s financial situation, quality of life and health. This publication summarises data on the working life conditions of trans people in the Nordic countries produced by the European Union Agency for Human Rights. The findings show that LGBTIQ people, and in particular trans and intersex people, continue to face hate-motivated violence, direct and indirect discrimination and other forms of victimisation, despite legal protections.

Trans People’s Working Life in Figures

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Within the framework of NIKK’s project Pay Equity in the Nordic Region, the report Paths to Equal Pay for Equal Work – An Exploratory Study of National Statistics in the Nordic Region has now been published. The report highlights what national statistics can be used to analyse pay differences between women and men in work of equal value at national level.  It is hoped that the report will make an important contribution to efforts to reduce the gender pay gap in the Nordic region.

Towards Pay Equity: An Exploratory Study of National Statistics in the Nordic Region

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This publication summarises the main messages from a conference on working life conditions for trans people, held in Stockholm on 23 October 2024. The conference was based on the knowledge review ‘Trans People’s Working Life Conditions in the Nordic Region’, published in spring 2024 by NIKK. The knowledge review compiles results from previous Nordic studies and provides an overall picture that shows that trans people face particular obstacles in their working lives. Prejudice and poor treatment affect recruitment processes as well as work environments and opportunities for career development, which has concrete impacts, not least on transgender people’s finances.  
 
The conference shared knowledge and experiences from research, policy, government agencies, trade unions, employers and civil society organisations. 

A better working life for trans people

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ decision to establish official co-operation between the Nordic governments on gender equality issues. The forms of Nordic co-operation have evolved and changed over the last half-century, and since 2020 the remit has expanded to include LGBTI rights. Today, the region is united around a broad political platform aimed at improving gender equality and achieving equal rights and opportunities for all.

To make wise choices for the future, it is important to know the history that many of us are building on. That is why Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK), the co-operation body of the Nordic ministers for gender equality, has produced this anniversary publication. We have interviewed eight people with different backgrounds and knowledge and asked them to reflect on the years that have passed and to look ahead.

Over the last 50 years, the hard work of civil society and political activists has made the Nordic Region one of the most gender-equal regions in the world. But we cannot rest on our laurels, and our successes so far must be defended. Although gender equality has been prioritised in the Nordic Region, there are still clear differences in the conditions for women, men and LGBTI people in the Nordic Region. For example, the Nordic countries struggle with both vertically and horizontally gender-segregated labour markets, LGBTI people are subjected to abuse, threats and violence to a greater extent than others and there is still a significant pay gap between women and men.

This is why Nordic co-operation on gender equality and LGBTI issues continues. Next year, a new co-operation programme for the 2025-2030 period will come into force, covering issues such as the gender-segregated labour market, stereotypical norms related to gender, gender identity and sexuality, and gender equality challenges in relation to the green transition.

We hope that this anniversary publication will give those working in the field an opportunity to reflect on the past and feel proud of the progress that has been made so far, but also to inspire the will and vigour needed to tackle current and future challenges.

Fifty years of Nordic cooperation on gender equality

1974 – 2024

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Today, women in the Nordics are among the most active labour market participants in the world, but the goal of equal conditions and pay equity in the labour market is far from being achieved. One of the clearest indicators of this are pay differentials between women and men. The Nordic Council of Ministers has therefore commissioned the publication of Pathways to Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value: Regulation, Reporting and Practice in the Nordic Region.

The report is written by the lawyer Eberhard Stüber. He has worked as, among other things, an analyst at the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman (JämO), and as a senior investigator at the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, both in Sweden.

The publication describes legislation and policy initiatives in the Nordic countries, including a discussion about the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive with focus on the issue of pay equity. The report also provides a brief overview of Nordic labour market models and highlights differences for possibilities to advance work towards equal pay for equal work and work of equal value. Special attention is paid to the interaction between legislation, collective wage agreements and requirements for reporting wage statistics related to the ISCO standard.

This publication is the first in a series of reports from the project on pay equity in the Nordics. The second report in the series examines how available public statistics can be used to measure wage differences between women and men in equivalent work at national level in the Nordic countries, with in-depth study of Finland, Norway, and Denmark. The third report discusses various explanatory approaches regarding the undervaluation of women’s work in a gender-segregated labor market, based on a survey of the labor market partners and other key actors in the Nordic countries. The second and third reports will be published in the winter of 2024/2025.

Towards Pay Equity: Regulation, Reporting and Practice in the Nordic Region

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