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Published by the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud
November 2009
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ONE ADDITIONAL ITEM FOR THE
YEAR
DISCRIMINATION IN
THE HOUSING
MARKET
This time in “The Additional Post for the Year” we are taking up the
situation in the housing market for functionally impaired people and
people with immigrant backgrounds. These groups are subjected to
discrimination in the housing market and this has been documented and
depicted in reports. Discrimination also occurs on various other
discrimination grounds, such as sexual orientation and age, but this is
not documented well enough at present.
A goal of housing policy has been that everyone should live safely and
well. Every individual must have equal opportunities to be able to find a
decent living situation.
The municipalities have the responsibility for the practical
implementation of the housing policy. This also involves assistance with
finding housing for individuals and households that are not making it on
their own. This allows for local adaptation, as well as for disparities in
the supply. Many municipalities have too little and unsuitable housing at
their disposal, according to the Office of the Auditor General’s study on
the supplies for people in the difficult position on the housing market.
Furthermore, some municipal apartment buildings where families with
children live have also seen disturbances and crime (Storting Proposition
No. 1, 2008–2009, the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and
Regional Development).
Pursuant to the Anti-Discrimination Act and the Discrimination and
Accessibility Act it is forbidden to discriminate due to ethnicity, religion
and ability to function on the housing market. A seller or lessor of a
housing unit is not allowed to choose a purchaser or lessee based on their
physical abilities, ethnic background, national origin, extraction, skin
color, language, religion or philosophy of life.
Still we see that there are systematic disparities in housing conditions.
For ethnic minorities it may be harder to enter the housing market and
they risk paying more rent than others. There are however certain
disparities between different immigrant groups with regard to the
discrimination they experience and the number of obstacles they meet in
the housing market.
People with disabilities are also an extremely complex group that meets different
obstacles on the housing market. The housing situation for functionally impaired
people is affected by discrimination due to their being different or the level of their
functionality, trouble finding their own place to live and by big municipal disparities
in housing supply.
“A good place to live is a condition for a good and meaningful life, and it is therefore
important that everyone have a place to live that meets their needs. The government
would like as many people as possible who want to settle in a home of their own to have
that opportunity."
Regjeringen.no, October 5, 2009
PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES
Shortage of adapted housing
The group “people with disabilities” is made up of people with very different conditions,
needs and wishes. In the group there are people with extensive cognitive problems and a
large need for help as well as people who can live an independent life in their own home
provided adaptations are made, assistance and aids are available. There are also people in
the group who can live in basically any housing.
The group that is physically challenged comes out the worst when it comes to the housing
situation. Much of it has to do with finances – personal finances, but also subsidy plans and
available housing units - or lack of. Previous living conditions studies have revealed as many
as 3.7 million Norwegians live in housing where wheelchair users cannot come in. Only seven
percent of all residences have been built to lifetime homes standards and 11 percent to access
standards. There is still no information on the housing situation for the disabled in general.
There is no listing of available housing for those with an impaired sense of direction, the
cognitively impaired and the environmentally impaired.
There is also little information on whether Husbanken’s financial resources contribute to
the higher availability of housing for the disabled.
In the living conditions study among people with disabilities 2007 almost half of those
selected stated that the housing is not adapted to their needs. Every fourth physically
challenged person answered that the housing is adapted slightly (Levekår blant personer
med nedsatt funksjonsevne (Living conditions among people with disabilities), LKF 2007,
NTNU Social Research Report 2009).
Organizations for the disabled have pointed out that property descriptions or
advertisements rarely, if ever, specify the functioning standard the housing has. This makes it
harder for the physically impaired to navigate the housing market.
[Framework text]
Different terminology is used to
characterize the accessibility level of housing:
Access standard means that a wheelchair user can visit the apartment, that is to say,
accessibility up to an entryway door and in the entryway, living room and toilet. A lifetime
residence has stair-free access with its most important rooms on an entry level, that is to
say: kitchen, living room, bath, toilet and a bedroom. Universal design means that the entire
residence may be used by everyone equally without special adaptations. A care home is a
home that is adapted to those with an impaired sense of direction and the physically
challenged, and is physically arranged so that residents will be able to receive round-theclock nursing and care as needed. The individual residence must be designed as an
independent residence or as shared housing/shared apartment.
Source: Status report 2007, Samfunnsutviklingen for personer
med nedsatt funksjonsevne (Social development for people
with disabilities), Oslo 2007
[Framework text end]
Universal design
In a collaboration project between Skanska Bolig, Ski Municipality, the Building Costs
Program, the Information and Training Program for Universal Design in the Construction
Sector and Husbanken we see that the interpretation of universal design is still vague. They
build 400 new residences where universal design is touted: With good construction quality
and it has been adapted for everyone, regardless of the individual’s functioning level.
Accessibility to the outdoor areas, finding roads, sound conditions and air quality have
been taken into account, but the minimum requirement for universal design – and usefulness
for the physically challenged - has been lacking in that many of the houses have two stories
with a stairway connection. Skanska itself calls the project a showcase for Universal Design.
Sneak institutionalization?
Since the 1980s there has been on and off a discussion about young people who are living at
retirement and nursing homes. The Storting has decided that no one should have to live at
such institutions against their will. Beginning 2004 municipalities have been able to apply for
different top financing plans for particularly resource-demanding services for people who
move out of the institutions. We still see examples of young people being placed together
with elderly and living in institutions, or institution-like housing, against their will.
There have also been discussions about whether the term “young” includes people under
the age of 67 or under the age of 50.
The number under the age of 50 with long-term stays in elderly institutions has dropped
somewhat. 170 people under the age of 50 lived in such institutions in 2006. For people aged
50-66 years in elderly institutions, however, the number has risen by almost 200 people,
from approximately 1,400 people in 2002 to approximately 1,600 people in 2006.
Thus the number of people under the age of 67 in elderly institutions is rising. At the same
time the people who are living placed together in care housing are increasingly living under
institution-like conditions. This happens by care housing being located close to - and
connected to - nursing homes so that the nursing home can easily become “a care base” for
the individual rather assistance on their own terms. Organizations for the disabled are
extremely critical of these housing solutions as the services are linked to the housing, and not
to the individual’s needs and wishes. Many feel they become isolated from society and at the
same time that they do not have a private life and the chance to live an independent and
autonomous life as they would have been able to in an independent residence with usercontrolled, personal assistants.
PEOPLE WITH
IMMIGRANT BACKGROUNDS
Living in poorer conditions and rent more often
The housing market in Norway has many people that own their own home. This is often a
lucrative investment that is a ticket to a better home.
Immigrants live under poorer conditions than the population in general according to
Levekår blant innvandrere i Norge (Living Standards among Immigrants in Norway)
2005/2006 (SSB Report 2008/5). It less common to live in a house and it is more common
for immigrants to live in tight spaces than the population in general. Fewer immigrants own
their own home.
Most encounter discrimination when renting a place to live. The immigrant population in
Norway has a relatively high ownership percentage compared to the immigrant population in
other countries. It is still far more common for the immigrant population in Norway to rent a
place to live than it is for the population in general. 37 percent of the immigrants rent a place
to live, while 63 percent own their own home. Of the entire population 23 percent rent a
place to live and 77 percent own their own home. Around 80 percent of Somalis and Iraqis
rent a place to live, while Sri Lankans and Pakistanis have the lowest percent of renters at
around 15 percent (SSB 2008).
Immigrants live in worse conditions, including in the form of dry rot and noise, than the
population in general.
Somalis and Iraqis in particular stand out as living under worse living conditions. They
also have the shortest residency time on average.
The housing standard has still improved for the immigrant population since the previous
living conditions study in 1996 and the percentage that owns their own place to live has
increased by nine percentage points.
Studies indicate that the majority of Norwegian-born persons with immigrant parents
follow the housing pattern of the parent’s generation. They live in tight spaces and wait to
move away from home. In this group the ownership percentage varies between 7 and 22
percent. It increases if they move away from home, get married or get a higher income (NIBR
report 2009:03).
Different preferences
The disparities in housing standards are not only attributable to discrimination or exclusion.
They are also due to disparities in income, education, social network and preferences among
immigrants. Poor housing conditions are linked to low income. The immigrant population
has lower income than the population in general.
Despite the fact that 45 percent of the immigrants live in a residence that would be
considered a tight space by traditional criteria in our society, only 20 percent state that their
residence is too small (SSB 2008).
[Framework text]
The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud has received very few complaints of
discrimination on the basis of ethnicity in the housing market. Two of the cases the Ombud
received were about immigrants who had put in the highest bid but still were denied the
housing. The people whose bids were accepted were ethnic Norwegians in both cases. In
one case after the sale, the house owner told a newspaper he had taken into consideration
who would “fit into a neighborhood” and “who had probably never seen a lawn before”. The
seller still maintained to the Ombud that he had not attached importance to ethnicity
during the sale. In both cases the Ombud found that it was discrimination. In one of those
cases the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Board concluded that it was discrimination. In
the other case the board came to the opposite conclusion (http://www.ldo.no/Klagesaker).
[Framework text end]
Discrimination in the housing market
One out of five non-Western immigrants state that they have been denied the opportunity to
rent or purchase a place to live due their immigrant background according to the study
Levekår blant innvandrere i Norge 2005/2006 (SSB 2008). It is most common among
immigrants from Somalia, Iraq and Iran. Among these, 42, 38 and 34 percent respectively
have been subjected to differential treatment when they were about to rent or purchase a
place to live. Among immigrants from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bosnia-Hercegovina the
percentage is less than 10 percent. This corresponds to the findings of a comparable living
conditions study from 1996.
Percentage that have experienced discrimination in the housing market
due to foreign background. By national background and gender
By percentage
Source: Levekår blant innvandrere i Norge 2005/2006. SSB
[see PDF]
Figure 5.1
The report Etniske minoriteter og forskjellsbehandling i leiemarkedet (Ethnic Minorities
and Differential Treatment in the Housing Market) (NIBR report 2009:02) confirms
through analysis of data on lessees and lessors that there are big disparities in the housing
market depending upon the lessee’s national background. The rental market has sorting
mechanisms that contribute to groups with different ethnic backgrounds being allowed into
different parts of the rental market.
Some immigrant groups have bigger problems than others in finding a regular, decent
place to live. Of the four immigrant groups that are analyzed in the study, lessees with Somali
and Iraqi backgrounds felt that they had encountered a great deal of discrimination. The two
other groups, lessees of Bosnian and Chilean background, felt that they had rarely been
denied the opportunity to rent a place to live based on their personal background.
Immigrants from Somalia and Iraq are more often rejected due to skin color, national
background, name, presumed religious affiliation, presumed family size or poor Norwegian
skills and presumed incompetency in “Norwegian living culture” (Søholt and Astrup, 2009).
Encountered discrimination in the housing market
on the basis of immigrant background
In percentage points
Source: SSB/NIBR
Do you think you have even been denied
the opportunity to rent or buy a place to
live due to your background?
National
background
Total
percentage
who rent
yes
no
don’t know
Somalia
16,208
84
44%
51%
5%
Iraq
18,132
72
42%
51%
7%
Chile
5,797
39
23%
71%
6%
13,130
32
15%
70%
13%
Bosnia
Table 5.2
Some of the disparities in the treatment that immigrants are subjected to may be due to
systematic disparities such as disparities in income, number of children, Norwegian skills
and steady work. However, a regression analysis conducted by SSB shows that immigrant
background has a negative effect on the rental price when the conditions above are left out.
Households with Somali or Iraqi background in particular are increasingly being denied a
place to live or must pay a higher rent when the background variables remain constant
(Beatty and Sommervoll, Discrimination in Europe. Evidence from the Rental Market, SSB
2008). For lessees with background from Bosnia and Chile, however, there is lower risk of
being denied the opportunity to rent a place to live on the basis of personal immigrant
background.
[Framework text]
Studies that apply the “pair testing” method may provide information about direct
discrimination in the housing market. Pair testing presumes, for example, that a situation is
constructed where two applicants for the same rental space have the same characteristics,
but where the applicants have majority and minority backgrounds, respectively. The
method will provide information about where discrimination occurs during the selection of
a lessee. The method is less suitable for getting information about how discrimination
occurs in a rental relationship. Nor does the method give insight into the disparities
regarding what a person will be allowed to rent.
[Framework text end]
mt
students with disabilities
The current housing situation is characterized by a shortage of universally designed housing that is accessible for the
physically challenged and poor financial opportunities to get established in ones’ own place to live. In addition, the
housing offered to the disabled is often organized along the lines of care homes being placed together, that have a great
deal in common with the old-fashioned institutions. The Norwegian Association of the Disabled (NHF) believes that
expanding upon new forms of institutions is in violation of the Discrimination and Accessibility Act and the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Source: NHF.no, March 27, 2009
Student housing
At the end of 2007 the student welfare organizations had a total of 29,963 one-room apartments at their disposal. 1,038
of these, that is to say approximately 3.5 percent, were adapted for disabled persons. In the past there was a requirement
that a minimum of 10% of housing was to be adapted. There has been a digression from this.
NHF in written comments on the 2009 State Budget to the Storting Church, Education and Research Committee.
Refugees and
asylum seekers with
disabilities
“Norwegian authorities have problems with finding municipalities that are willing to take in immigrants and refugees
with disabilities. In general the situation is that everyone with a higher price tag than others would be hard to place,”
says Ohene Aboagye, manager of the Bergen Division of the Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi) and
responsible for the placement of refugees and asylum seekers. The disabled are among those who are prioritized last,”
explains Aboagye who says the Directorate meets clear preferences from the municipalities, even as to the type of
immigrants they do not want.”
Source: Vårt Land, April 29, 2008
Ideal far
from reality
There is a large gap between ideal and reality in the designing and operation of housing and services. That indicates that
people have moved too far away from the ideals. Are the municipalities developing a new form of collective care? How is
this different from the institutional care of the past? The developments of recent years show a shift away from
segregated integration and towards housing segregation.
Source: Ivar Breivik, Boliggjøring av sykehjem og institusjonalisering av omsorgsboliger (Turning nursing homes into
housing and institutionalization of care housing), Dokumentasjonssenterets report series 01/08
mt
discrimination on
the housing market
Expensive housing
creates homeless
90 percent of the homeless families with children in Oslo have refugee or immigrant background. A tight and expensive
rental market forces single Somali mothers to the hospices.
Source: “Families with children. From the hospice to permanent residence,” Arne Holm NIBR 2002
Examples of
discrimination in the purchase or rental of housing
The person who submits the highest offer still is not allowed to purchase the housing unit.
The lessor or realtor says that the space is rented out, but you know that it is still vacant.
The board of a housing cooperative refuses to approve a shareholder due to his or her ethnic background, religion or
national original
The housing cooperative has bylaws that require affiliation to a specific religious community.
Source: Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud
“When lessees are rejected on the initial contact, by telephone, before they have presented themselves further than
being a foreigner, they are not given the opportunity to present and represent themselves as an individual applicant
beyond group affiliation.”
NIBR report 2009:02
“...while Chileans and Bosnians could apply at five or six places to live before they got a contract, Somalis and Iraqis
could apply at 50 places without getting anything.”
NIBR report 2009:02
THE OMBUD’S
OPINION
Everyone must have equal opportunities to finding a safe and good place to live. Research
shows that immigrants are subjected to differential treatment in the housing market.
Immigrants have bigger problems being allowed to rent a place to live than other groups.
National background is significant for the types of terms that are set and the type of obstacles
the different groups meet when looking for a place to live. Some groups are subjected to
greater differential treatment and discrimination than others.
The supply of housing adapted to the different rental needs does not meet the demand.
More municipally owned rental units adapted to different family sizes, as well as more rental
spaces provided by professional rental companies, are needed.
The shortage of available housing causes many disabled persons to live in a place that is not
adapted to their needs. That creates big practical problems in everyday life. A lack of
accessibility limits the opportunities of disabled persons for mobility on the housing market,
both geographically and in the choice between different types of housing. It is important that
the municipalities are ensured good financing for care housing so the need is met. For care
housing, however, it is important to be aware that for many people this is not a desirable
housing offer. Today many people live in institutions against their will. It is an intolerable
situation. The municipalities must take responsibility to ensure that everyone gets a good
housing offer that gives the users assistance adapted to their personal functioning level and
needs - on their own terms.
Initiatives
Housing administrators and brokers should acquire stronger muticultural skills.
The authorities must increase the supply of rental housing controlled by the municipality that is
adapted to different family sizes. The housing must be accessible to everyone.
Documents such as rental agreements, general rules of the house, etc., must be translated to relevant
languages and be easily accessible to both lessee and lessor.
Resources for research, such as pair testing, are important to get more information about
discrimination in the housing market.
The requirement of accrued residency time in the municipality for applying for municipal housing
contributes to indirect discrimination and should be repealed.
The authorities must strengthen the right to be able to purchase ones’ own home – regardless of the
need resource-demanding services – by providing earmarked resources to the municipalities. The
resources must go to user-controlled personal assistants and necessary aids.
The subsidy plan for installation of a lift in existing blocks must be increased considerable about the
state budget.
Public authorities must set clear requirements that buildings, rooms and areas which the
state and municipalities purchase and lease must be universally designed.
POWER AND
INFLUENCE
[Caption]
Sylvi Listhaug (Norwegian Progress Party) (left) and Hadia Tajik (Norwegian Labor
Party)
It is important that representatives in democratic institutions reflect the
diversity in the population in regards to, among other things, gender,
age, ethnicity, functional ability, religion and sexual orientation.
Diversity in political institutions is crucial for the quality of the decisions
that are made, but also for contributing to the legitimacy of the system.
White men aged 45-60 are still overrepresented in the Storting [the
Norwegian Parliament], among mayors and in the local councils.
Analysis of the local council elections in 2007 shows that far more
people with immigrant background were elected than in the election in
2003. Among these representatives there is a more even gender balance
than among the local representatives in general.
In the business sector non-disabled men without immigrant
background are primarily the ones sitting in central positions. However,
the change in the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act has
strengthened female representation on the boards.
There is a shortage of data on political participation, board representation and
management including people with disabilities and for lesbians and gays.
PART 1
ELECTIONS AND POLITICS
[Saldo: see PDF]
POINT CALCULATION
The points are calculated from a real situation compared to an idealistic situation
and reflect the degree of having met a goal. Full goal achievement is 10 points.
women
men
other groups
1. Gender division in the Storting
women
men
2009
40%
60%
2008
34%
66%
2007
34%
66%
Source: The Storting
goal: Equal gender division
goal achievement: 40/50 = 80% = 8 points
2. The gender division in the government
women
men
2009
50%
50%
2008
47%
53%
2007
53%
47%
Source: The government
goal: Equal gender division
goal achievement: 50/50 = 100% = 10 points
3. Gender division on the local boards
women
men
2007
38%
62%
2003
36%
64%
1999
34%
66%
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB)
goal: Equal gender division
goal achievement: 38/50 = 76% = 8 points
4. Gender division among the mayors
women
men
2007
23%
77%
2003
17%
83%
1999
15%
85%
Source: SSB
goal: Equal gender division
goal achievement: 23/50 = 46% = 5 points
5. Non-western representatives on the local councils
on the local
councils
in the population
2007
1.3%
5.0%
2003
0.8%
3.8%
Source: SSB
goal: Equal number on the local councils as in the population
goal achievement: 1.3/5.0 = 26% = 3 points
6. Youths 18-29 years on the local councils
on the local
councils
in the population
2007
7%
19%
2003
8%
19%
Source: SSB
goal: The percentage on the local councils is equal to the population
goal achievement: 7/19 = 37% = 4 points
The government’s basic premise is that “representative government” means a form of
government that includes influence for many people and power division. A living and
decentralized democracy with broad participation is fundamental for meeting the
challenges of society.
Regjeringen.no, October 13, 2009
THE STORTING
Does not reflect the population
None of the elected representatives in the Storting have visible disabilities, and only one
representative in the Storting has an immigrant background. After changes to the
government on October 20, 2009, which led to new deputy representatives meeting at the
Storting, there are three representatives with immigrant background and one with
disabilities.
By comparison, the disabled make up around 17 percent and the immigrant population
around 10 percent of the population (SSB, 2008). These groups are thus highly
underrepresented among representative elected to the Storting by the people. The absence is
also in contrast to the fact that nine percent of people with disabilities are members of
political parties, a percentage that is at the same level as the rest of the population (Living
Conditions Study for Disable Persons, SSB, 2007). Approximately four percent of immigrants
are members of political parties.
After the election there are six openly gay and lesbian representatives in the Storting. They
make up 3.6 percent of Storting representatives (the Norwegian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Association – LLH, 2009).
Women make up 40 percent of the 169 representatives that won a seat in the Storting after
the election in 2009. After the election in 2005 the percentage of women was 38 percent. The
percentage of women dropped to 34 percent in May 2008 because women who left the
Storting during the period were replaced by men. The basis right after the election after the
election is thus somewhat better in 2009 than in 2005 for female representation.
Percentage of women in the Storting
By party, in percentage points. September 21, 2009
Source: Stortinget.no
[see PDF]
Figure 3.1
The age of Storting representatives after the election 2009
compared to the population January 1, 2009
In percentage points
Source: SSB/The Storting
[see PDF]
Figure 3.2
The percentage of women on expert committees in the Storting after the election 2009 is
divided somewhat more evenly than the previous period. Now there is only one committee
where the percentage of women is less than 20 percent versus three committees prior to the
election. Still, only three of the 12 permanent committees have a female chairman: the Family
and Culture Committee, the Church, the Education and Research Committee and the Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee.
The percentage of women in the working committees in the Storting
In percentage points. October 22, 2009
Source: The Storting
[see PDF]
Figure 3.3
The nomination process
Almost half of the ticket candidates nominated during the 2009 elections were women, 46
percent. People of immigrant background and people with disabilities are highly
underrepresented with 18 and 6 nominated candidates respectively (Handikappnytt, March
24, 2009).
The nominated top five candidates in the election to the Storting, from all of the county
tickets of the seven largest parties. By number. 2009
Source: Handikapnytt
ethnic
minority
disabled
women
Labor Party
2
2
43
Socialist Left Party
0
8
49
Progress Party
1
1
33
Conservative Party
0
1
39
Liberal Party
0
3
47
Center Party
3
2
45
Christian Democratic
Party
0
1
47
6 (0.9%)
18 (2.7%)
303 (45.6%)
Total
Table 3.4
Access to political participation
There are big challenges to including ethnic minorities in political parties and interest
organizations. This group has lower election participation than the population in general.
Studies show that there is still a long way to go before elections, political arenas and the
social debate is accessible to people with disabilities.
User cooperation is essential to ensuring access to polling places and arenas for social
debate and policy. A study on accessibility to elections, however, shows that 90 percent of
the Norway’s municipalities did not involve disabled persons in the evaluation of polling
places, parking and access or design of information material (Tilgjengelighet til valg, Guldvik
et al. 2008).
THE GOVERNMENT
10 of the 20 cabinet ministers in the Stoltenberg’s 3rd government, assembled on October 20,
2009, are women. None of the ministers has visible disabilities or immigrant background. 16
of 36 state secretaries (44 percent) are women. One state secretary is Sami, and one has an
immigrant background.
THE SAMETING
The Sameting opened for the first time on October 9, 1989. The Sameting is meant to
strengthen the political standing of the Samis and to contribute to a fair treatment of the
Sami people.
The election in the autumn of 2009 maintains the gender balance in the Sameting. 51
percent of the elected representatives during the previous period (2005-2009) were women.
49 percent women were elected during the period 2009-2013 (19 of 39 representatives).
LOCAL COUNCILS
Vote diversity!
Before the local council and county council elections in 2007 the Equality and AntiDiscrimination Ombud appealed to the voters to vote in more women and more diversity by
making changes to the ballot sheets. The reason for the appeal was skewed representation in
local democracy. Two out of three local council representatives were men. Only one out of six
mayors was a woman. Less than one out of 100 representatives had a non-western
background. Few lesbian and gays were visible in local politics, and youth and the disabled
were highly underrepresented on local councils.
10 percent of the local council representatives defined themselves as disabled in a study
among local council representatives and chairmanship secretaries in four counties
(Lillehammer University College (HiL), 2009). A lack of universal design and organizational
preparation is a significant barrier for participation. According to the study less than half of
the local council representatives and chairmanship secretaries with disabilities answered that
the physical environment had been adapted. Even fewer answered that meetings were
adapted.
Only 16 percent of the municipalities included in the survey send out case documents in
electronic format which is a prerequisite for the visually impaired to be able to read it.
Record for women
The local council election in 2007 set a new record for women with 38 percent female local
council representatives. That was an increase of two percentage points from the previous
election.
The gender and age division on the local councils are still skewed compared to the
population. Men aged 40-59 years make up 37 percent of those elected and are thus highly
overrepresented. Women aged 60 and above are the least represented together with youths
under the age of 30.
Of the 3,190 representatives that were elected to chairmanships in the municipalities, 42
percent were women.
Percentage of women on the local councils
Source: SSB 2007
[see PDF]
Figure 3.5
Improved gender balance among politicians
with immigrant backgrounds
After the local election in 2007 the number of local council representatives with backgrounds
from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe rose from 92 to 140. Immigrants are
overrepresented in 50 of Norway’s 431 municipalities when one compares the percentage of
immigrants with the right to vote with the percentage that is represented on local councils.
Large municipalities such as Oslo, Drammen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Trondheim and
Tromsø are among the municipalities where immigrants are overrepresented on the local
councils. In the capital city immigrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe outside
of the European Union/European Economic Area made up 15 percent of the people with the
right to vote. After the election city council representatives with immigrant background made
up 17 of the Oslo City Council (Aalandslid, SSB 2008).
Almost half of the elected politicians with background from this immigrant group are
women (SSB 2008). This group thus has a better gender balance than the local council
representatives in general where women make up 38 percent.
For Norway as a whole people with this immigrant background are also underrepresented
on the local councils. 1.3 percent of the elected representatives have this background
compared to five percent of the people with the right to vote (Aalandslid, SSB 2008).
Men are reelected more often than women
Almost half, 46 percent, of the local council representatives were reelected. This is more
common for men than for women, 50 percent for men compared to 38 percent for women.
This disparity is true for all parties (SSB 2008).
More female mayors,
but men dominate
The percentage of women among mayors has risen from 17 percent in 2003 to approximately
23 percent in 2007. This means that 24 new female mayors were elected after the election in
2007. However, the figures show that more than seven out of 10 mayors are men.
In the 50 municipalities that conducted direct elections of mayors, almost 9 out of 10
mayors are men.
Mayors after the local council election
By gender and political party, in percentage
Source: SSB 2007
[see PDF]
Figure 3.6
[Framework text]
COMPENSATION FOR RECIPIENTS OF DISABILITY BENEFITS HOLDING
ELECTED POSITIONS
Compensation for elected positions raises ethical questions. The goal is to improve the
conditions for people who choose to take an elected political post, but when this leads to
groups receiving disability benefits feeling that they cannot participate in local democracy,
for example, without that having negative financial consequences, this can result in an
unfortunate barrier to the representation of all levels of the population.
New disability benefits and new retirement pension for the disabled have been criticizedby
the organizations for the disabled for, among other things, not taking political participation
into account in the proposal for non-taxable income for social benefit reccipients (NOU
2007:4).
[Framework text end]
Individual council plans for people
with disabilities
The Norwegian State Council for the Disabled was founded in 1969 and local and county
councils for the disabled were established by law and implemented after the local elections in
2007. Many municipalities and counties, however, have been able to afford councils for the
disabled for longer than that. As long as disabled persons run into barriers for participation
in ordinary political arenas, the local councils could serve as a forum for collaboration.
Councils for the disabled do not have decision-making authority, and the councils are
therefore completely dependent upon the administration and decision-makers choosing to
enter into a dialogue with them: “The current compulsory arrangement for elderly
council/representation arrangement for the disabled may be sending out an unfortunate
signal that these groups should not be nominated or participate on equal footing with others
in the representative system and thereby legitimize their withdrawing from political activity.”
(NOU 2006:7)
PART 2
POWER AND MANAGEMENT
[Saldo: see PDF]
POINT CALCULATION
The points are calculated from a real situation compared to an ideal situation
and are a reflection of the degree of goal achievement. Full goal achievement is 10 points.
women
men
other groups
7. Gender division in top management positions
in the private sector
women
men
2008
20%
80%
2007
18%
82%
2006
19%
81%
Source: SSB
goal: Equal gender division
goal achievement: 20/50 = 40% = 4 points
8. Gender division board chairpersons
in public limited companies
women
men
2009
7%
93%
2008
5%
95%
2007
3%
97%
Source: SSB
goal: equal gender division
goal achievement: 7/50 = 14% = 1 points
9. Gender division board members
in public limited companies
women
men
2009
40%
60%
2008
36%
64%
2007
30%
70%
Source: SSB
goal: equal gender division
goal achievement: 40/50 = 80% = 8 points
10. Gender division editors
women
men
2009
26%
74%
2008
26%
74%
2007
25%
75%
Source: SSB
goal: equal gender division
goal achievement: 26/50 = 50% = 5 points
“From a rights as well as a fairness perspective, and taking talent and resources into
consideration, there should be a balanced gender representation in positions of power in
the public sector.”
The Ministry of Children and Equality’s web pages, October 13, 2009
LITTLE DIVERSITY AMONG MANAGERS
Two out of three managers are men. Despite high female professional participation it is not
as common for women to have management responsibilities as it is for men. The disparity
becomes even greater at the top management level where only 20 percent of the managers
are women. The percentage of female mid-level managers dropped from 2007 to 2008, while
the percentage of female top managers rose by three percentage points – at a level with the
percentage in 2006.
A little over half of the managers in the public sector are women (55 percent). By
comparison, women make up almost 70 percent of all employees in this sector. Men are in
the majority in the private sector with 63 percent of the employees. Here 76 percent of the
managers are men.
Managers by sector, level and gender
In percentage points
Source: The Norwegian Labor Force Survey (AKU), SSB 2008
[see PDF]
Figure 3.7
People with disabilities are underrepresented among managers. The percentage that have
management responsibilities is three percent, less than half of the percentage for the
population in general. The percentage of immigrants that have management professions is
also less than half of the percentage for the population in general. There is an even lower
manager percentage for immigrant groups from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern
Europe outside of the EU.
Percentage of employees with management professions by country group
In percentage points. 4th quarter 2008
Source: SSB
total employees
7.0
immigrants
country group 11
3.1
4.8
country group 22
1.6
1.
Country group 1: EU/EFTA countries, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
2.
Country group 2: Eastern Europe outside of the EU, Asia (including Turkey), Africa, South and Central America and Oceania outside of Australia and
New Zealand.
Table 3.8
MANAGERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
The total percentage of women among administrative managers in the ministries and their
underlying agencies is 39 percent. This is an increase of one percentage point from last year.
There are big disparities between the ministries. There are few women in management in
ministerial areas such as culture and church, justice and police, defense and oil and energy.
This also applies to the prime minister’s office. However, many of the ministerial areas have a
good balance between female and male managers.
Managers in the state sector by gender
By “state sector” is meant the ministries and their underlying agencies. In percentage points
Source: The Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform, the State Central Civil Servant Register
as of October 1,2008
[see PDF]
Figure 3.9
Slightly less than one out of three administrative managers in municipal administration are
women. Eight out of ten chief administration officers are men. The percentage of male
administrative managers in the health and human services sector has dropped somewhat, by
2 percentage points from 2007.
Administrative managers in municipal administration
By gender and sector responsibility, in percentage
Source: KS 2008
[see PDF]
Figure 3.10
THE JUDICAL SYSTEM
After a dramatic increase from 2006 to 2007, there have been fewer female Supreme Court
justices the past year. The percentage of women dropped from 42 percent in 2007 to 37
percent in 2008. In the Court of Appeals and the District Court seven out of 10 judges are still
men.
Judges by gender
2008
Source: The Norwegian National Courts Administration
[see PDF]
Figure 3.11
THE BOARDS OF THE PUBLIC LIMITED
COMPANIES (ASA)
Women become board members,
but not chairpersons
In 2003 a wide majority of the Storting adopted an amendment to the Public Limited
Companies Act. Both women and men must be represented by at least 40 percent in the
boards of privately owned public limited companies and publicly owned enterprises.
The percentage of women among the board representatives in public limited companies
(publicly held corporations) has increased from 7 percent in 2003 to 40 percent as of January
1, 2009. At the same time the percentage of women among board chairpersons has risen to
seven percent from two percent in 2005. Still, despite the increase, only 1 out of 15
chairpersons is a woman.
Most public limited companies now meet the requirements of the law, but some
companies still remain. This includes Aker Solutions ASA, Tandberg Data ASA, Opera
Software ASA, Kongsberg gruppen ASA, Yara International ASA, according to Dun &
Bradstreet Norway AS, July 2009.
Female board representatives in public limited companies
By board roles and year. In percentage points
Source: SSB
2009
Chairperson
2008
2007
7
5
3
Vice-chairperson
29
24
19
Board members
49
45
30
Total
40
36
25
Table 3.12
STATE COUNCILS, BOARDS AND
COMMITTEES
State councils, boards and committees consisted of 46 percent women and 54 percent men.
The Equality Act stipulates that women and men must be represented by at least 40 percent
in every single public board, council and committee, and most of the government ministries
are making sure they comply with the act.
Large disparities in the ministries
The Norwegian Ministry of Defense and the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and
Communications have around one-third women on their councils, boards and committees. In
the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications the percentage of women has
dropped from 47 percent in 2007 to 31 percent in 2008. In the Norwegian Ministry of
Children and Equality the percentage of women has risen from 48 to 54 percent.
Gender division on state councils, boards and committees
In percentage points
Source: The Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform 2008
[see PDF]
Figure 3.13
Youth is underrepresented
Around half of the members of state councils, boards and committees are aged 50-64 years.
This age group is thus underrepresented compared to the age makeup of the population. The
youngest are underrepresented and make up only four percent of councils, boards and
committees in 2008 versus five percent in 2007.
The age makeup of state councils, boards and committees
In percentage points
Source: The Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform 2008
[see PDF]
Figure 3.14
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Two out of three founders are men
Men establish the most companies. Only 34 percent of personally owned businesses
established in 2008 are owned by women. This is an increase of two percentage points
compared to 2007. The government’s goal is for 40 percent of the founders to be women in
2013. Some countries in Europe, including Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands, have a
higher percentage of women as founders than Norway (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor).
Owners of new, personally-owned companies
In percentage points, 2008
Source: SSB
men
women
General partnership
70%
30%
Company with joint liability
(JL)
74%
26%
Sole proprietorship
66%
35%
total
66%
34%
Table 3.15
Over eight percent of new companies in 2008 were established by people with non-western
background. This is a somewhat lower percentage than in 2007.
New, personally-owned companies according to the owner’s background
By number and percent, 2008
Source SSB
Norway
25,066
80%
Other western
countries
2,551
8%
Non-western
countries
2,620
8%
Live abroad
1,053
3%
31,290
100%
total
Figure 3.16
Women go bankrupt less often than men. In the 2nd quarter 2009 there were 58 percent more
bankruptcies in Norway than the same period for 2008. Only eight percent of the owners of
sole proprietorships that went bankrupt were women. This despite the fact that women run
about 25 percent of all sole proprietorships (Innovasjon Norge/SSB).
MEDIA
More female editors
The percentage of female editors has risen in recent years. Nevertheless, three out of four
editors are still men. In September 2009, 204 of the 774 members of the Association of
Norwegian Editors (NR) were women. This puts the percentage of women at 26 percent.
The highest percentage of women is in the weekly press where almost 70 percent of the
editors are women.
The gender division among journalists is more balanced. As of October 2009, the
Norwegian Union of Journalists (NJ) has 43 percent women. This is an increase of one
percentage point compared to 2008.
Gender division in media
Number
Source: Norwegian Union of Journalists, 2009, and the Association of Norwegian Editors 2009
[see PDF]
Figure 3.17
mt storting
Recognition
“Helga Pedersen from Tana has been elected to be the new parliamentarian leader for the Norwegian Labor Party’s
caucus in the Storting. Thus a prolific Sami is leaving an important minister post to take over an even more central
position in the national power apparatus. This is a recognition that Samis can fill prominent positions in Norwegian
politics on equal footing with ethnic Norwegians.”
Sagat in an editorial,
October 2, 2009
Not enough to roll your wheelchair
“The Working Environment Act does not apply to the Storting. There you have to work round-the-clock during the
budget period. It takes more than being able to roll your wheelchair onto the Storting floor,” says Aarebrot.
Source: Handikappnytt På maktens sidelinje [On the sidelines of power], September 24, 2009
“One of the biggest and most egregious offences the disabled meet is that the explanation for discrimination and being
excluded from society is blamed on us, on flaws and shortcomings of our bodies.
Ann Kristin Krokan, editor of Magasinet Selvsagt 1 : 2008
Do not like
top candidates and immigrants
“The negative attitudes towards immigrants, and towards some of the country’s most well-known politicians, are clearly
apparent in information the Norwegian News Agency (NTB) has obtained from the number of deletions on ballots in a
number of countries in this year’s Storting election.
The Oslo electorate’s corrections on the ballots show that deletion of candidates with immigrant names is a
phenomenon that crosses party lines, that appears over the entire political spectrum from the Norwegian Progress Party
to the Norwegian Socialist Left Party.”
Romerikes Blad, September 27, 2009
Akhtar Chaudhry (Norwegian Socialist Left Party) becomes Vice-President of the Storting
The first with non-western background.
“We have fought long to get a number of politicians with minority background in important offices. It is important to
create even more role models for the minorities,” says Chaudhry.
Dagbladet, October 7, 2009
mt
the nomination process
Minority voter election participation low
More organizations and political parties use the election campaign to increase the election participation among
minorities. During the local elections in 2007 the election participation in this group was only 37 percent. The average
on a national basis was at 61.2 percent. Tor Bjørklund, professor of political science at the University of Oslo, believes
there are many possible reasons for the low election participation. Norwegians with immigrant background read fewer
newspapers than ethnic Norwegians. They often have language challenges and are also not active in organizational life.
Utrop, September 10, 2009
Secret vote?
“Many disabled persons drop voting in the election because the polling places are poorly adapted. So says Jens-Olav
Johannessen, county secretary at the Association for the Disables in Hordaland to the Norwegian Broadcasting
Corporation (NRK). According to Johannessen many blind and visually-impaired people fear that the election will not
be secret because they need help completing the ballots.
Source: P4, September 14, 2009
Representatives for the largest parties have agreed to run an inclusive election campaign by signing a five-point
declaration during a press conference at the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa from
the Norwegian Center Party fielded questions from the Norwegian National Association for the Hearing-Impaired
(HLFU) about the accessibility in the election campaign by promising that her ministry was to ensure accessible polling
places for everyone.
“But we also need to ensure that web sites and TV debates are accessible for the deaf and blind to participate in the
election debates,” says Meltveit Kleppa.
Source: hlf.no, August 5, 2009
mt
the government
Pressure on Jens
from Labor Party women
During the Norwegian Labor Party national committee meeting Thursday and Friday a number of prominent
Norwegian Labor Party women took the podium and demanded that Norwegian Labor Party leader and Prime Minister
Jens Stoltenberg appoint equal numbers of women and men to the government. They will not accept a less than 50/50
gender division among state secretaries and committee chairpersons in the Storting.
Dagbladet, October 3, 2009
Women’s resolutions in the Norwegian Labor Party
The Norwegian Labor Party's national conference in 2005 adopted abandoning the Norwegian Labor Party’s women’s
movement against drawing up crystal clear resolutions that there should be 50 percent women in all committees, offices
and appointments in the party.
Source: Dagbladet, October 3, 2009
mt
the local councils
A study shows that the web sites of the political parties still do not meet the international recommendations for
accessibility (WCAG 2.0).
None of the parties have a result that show the criteria of the Norwegian Agency for Public Management and
eGovernment/Norge.no are “very satisfactorily met”.
Source: Test conducted for Deltasenteret, May/June 2009.
mt
more female
mayors
Democracy deficit
“Strengthening the representation of the disabled in the end is all about reversing the deficit in the Norwegian
democracy."
Guldvik, Askheim and Johansen
in a feature article, forskning.no,
September 3, 2009
Systematic discrimination
“Systematic discrimination is characterized by being related to administrative practice and organizational cultures
which, for no justifiable reason, create or maintain a position of relative disadvantage for some groups and relative
benefit for other groups”
Source: Hellum & Ketscher (editors) Diskriminerings- og likestillingsrett (Discrimination and Equality Law) 2008
mt
individual council arrangements
The council not allowed to inspect
“Special education in Oslo’s primary schools has challenges in regards to organization, content and dimensioning. To
that end the City Council has investigated and is preparing cases for the city government on coordination and
strengthening of the special education in the primary and secondary school. The municipality’s “Council for the
Disabled” has been asked to make a consultation statement on the matter. But an unbelievable thing happens: The
Council is not allowed to inspect the case documents, neither the case itself nor the four extensive documents/reports
that form the basis of the case.”
Source: City council politician
Ivar Johansen on a blog:
ivarjohansen.no, October 7, 2009
mt
management
Top earners
tend to be men
Not surprisingly, top salary earners (defined as the employees whose wages are in the top five percent) are mainly men.
In 1995 six percent of the top pay earners were women versus 11 percent in 2005.
“From a gender equality perspective, it is a good thing that we have seen the percentage of women almost double
throughout the period. On the other hand, the situation is still heavily dominated by men,” says Harald Dale-Olsen to
Samfunnsforskning.no
April 1, 2009
Rebukes Huitfeldt
for homo resolutions
Anniken Huitfeldt (Norwegian Labor Party) is being ripped by her own distribution committee for giving money to the
Salvation Army Youth despite their discrimination against gays. In December the committee, which divides support to
children and youth organizations, decided to deny support to the Salvation Army youth. The reason is that gays are
denied leadership positions within the organization.
VG nett, March 26, 2009
First female
state mediator
Kari Gjesteby (62) was appointed state mediator today. The former Norwegian Labor Party politician is the first woman
in the job the title of which is also changing to a gender neutral version of the title.
Source: LO-aktuelt, August 21, 2009
First female
Norwegian national women’s
A-team soccer coach
“I hope I was chosen for quality and not because I am a girl,” says Eli Landsem, who is brushing aside talk of her hire
being historic. “We need to have a better collaboration with clubs and with men’s soccer. The girls that put in an effort
must get to play in tougher matches and have an opportunity to play more against guys here and there.
Dagsavisen, August 13, 2009
Little diversity in the management in the municipalities
Only 2.3 percent of the 239 municipalities have top managers of non-western background. 16 municipalities have taken
on initiatives/projects for the purpose of qualifying people with non-western immigrant background for management
positions, sums up Asplan Viak in a final report to the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS)
(April 23, 2009).
Ranjith Molegoda,
immigrant manager of the year
Molegoda works as a program manager for Aker Solutions at Dvergsnes in Kristiansand. He works on projects valued at
a total of NOK 1.2 billion per year.
“I was already both surprised and touched at the time I was nominated, so this is huge,” says Ranjith to
Fedrelandsvennen (January 12, 2009).
mt
judicial system
Young judges
— more gender equality
A study of child custody cases at Drammen District Court and Eiker, Sigdal and Modum District from September 2003
to November 2008 shows that female judges in general, and young male judges, practice gender equality, so to say, and
grant the custody to the father as often as the mother, while older male judges more often find for the mother.
Source: Dagens Nyheter, January 13, 2009
mt
the boards of the public limited companies
Norway - the different country
The Norwegian law on women quotas has shown results since 44 percent of the members of boards in Norway are
women. Number two on this list are the Netherlands and Great Britain with 12 percent women on the boards. The
average in Europe is nine percent, a figure that has not changed over the past five years, writes the Financial Times.
The law to have 40 percent women on every board listed on the stock exchange is getting praise and other countries
could benefit from taking a look it, writes the newspaper.
Source: Aftenposten, June 16, 2009
Revolution in
public limited companies
Companies that are not subject to the quota law have more female top managers than companies that are not subject to
the law. The percentage is now at 16.6 percent in the public limited companies.
The limited companies have passed the public limited companies: Here the percentage of women is now 17.2 percent.
There are almost twice as many female chairpersons of the board in the large limited companies as in the public limited
companies.
“The percentage of women in both company forms has risen, but the public limited companies only slightly - despite
the quota law. The large limited companies have progressed faster,” says Marit Hoel, manager of Center for Corporate
Diversity to Adresseavisen (October 19, 2009).
mt
entrepreneurship
Hard to succeed
as founder
Many immigrants start on their own because they are shunned from the labor market. But even as founders most hit a
wall according to a study the Work Research Institute (AFI) has conducted, among other places, at the Norwegian
Center for Multicultural Value Generation (NSFV) in Drammen. Problems with raising financing is listed as the biggest
obstacle.
“The few who succeed do so because they are surrounded by driving forces that help them fight the system like the
teachers at the NSFV do,” says Migle Gamperiene, senior researcher at AFI, to Drammens Tidende (September 9,
2009).
mt
media
Women –
an invisible place
“Why is it so hard? Where are the women? The percentage of women in the Norwegian Union of Journalists (NJ) is now
below 43 percent. So why do we have a problem with showing that half of Norway is women? Why don’t the journalists
come and ask them about something, use them as sources on issues, take pictures of them,” asks Anne Ekornholmen,
editor-in-chief, Romerikes blad. She says this in a comment to her own informal study that shows that remarkably few
women are quoted outside of the entertainment pages.
Source: Romerikes Blad, October 8, 2009
TOP NOTATION
Political parties have ensured an even gender balance among the immigrant representatives
on the local councils.
BOTTOM NOTATION
Political parties for failing to recruit and nominate candidates with impaired physical
functionality to the Storting.
THE OMBUD’S
OPINION
Popularly elected institutions must reflect the population
A characteristic of a democracy is that all adult citizens have equal opportunities to exercise
active political influence, both as a voter and a political representative. It is a democratic
problem in popularly elected institutions such as the Storting, the government and the local
councils do not reflect the diversity in the population in regards to gender, age, ethnicity,
ability to function and sexual orientation.
The Ombud believes that much more consideration should be shown for representation,
even on bases other than gender.
Physical barriers and lack of access that excludes portions of the population from receiving
political information, participating in elections and taking on a role as popularly elected can
be discriminating. It is also a democratic problem. There is also reason to believe that
prejudices and other exclusion mechanisms create barriers to the participation of different
minorities.
The absence of the disabled and ethnic minorities in political assignments as well as in
other positions of power in society is one of the reasons that important issues in different
political arenas remain invisible in the public debate. Problems such as high unemployment
among the disabled and lack of universal design are largely perceived to be interest group
politics for people with special interests, and receive little attention during the year’s election
campaign. A change of attitude is needed in the established political environment. Secondly it
is important to raise the awareness in the administration, professional environments and the
population in general.
Initiatives
To ensure greater diversity in politics, the political parties must set goal figures for gender balance,
age, ethnic background, ability to function and sexual orientation. To achieve representation the
parties must have a long-term recruitment and gender equality strategy.
Knowledge must be gained about social barriers and mechanisms that lead to the absence of the
disabled in political assignments as well as in other positions of power in society. The authorities
must initiate an investigation to survey the division of power, resources for and feelings of
powerlessness in people with disabilities and other minority groups. This is necessary because the
Power Investigation from 2003 did not investigate circumstances related to the disabled and power,
among other things.
The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the election boards in
the municipalities must ensure that the requirements for universal design are implemented at local
and Storting elections so everyone is ensured equal opportunities and rights to social participation,
regardless of functioning ability (see Norwegian Anti-discrimination and Accessibility Act §9).
The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development must ensure that the
information and communications technology solutions that are to be used in the trial arrangements
with electronic voting follow international recommendations for universal design (Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines 2.0) and Norwegian standards when these come in 2010.
The parties and the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development must pave
the way for active local recruitment measures for more women and more diversity in local politics. It
is important that the parties work actively and systematically during the four-year periods between
the elections to recruit women and people who represent different minority groups such as people
with ethnic minority background or disabilities.
The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud encourages the parties to have a better gender balance
than today on at the tops of party tickets on a national basis.
There must be equal numbers of women and men on the ballot list for the list to be approved.
Positions of power and assignments must be mapped out
and divided more evenly
The division of power in the form of management and representation is skewed. This applies
to the public and the private sector. Women rarely become managers. Top management
positions in particular are dominated by men. People with disabilities and people with
immigrant background are also underrepresented in management positions. The authorities
have the responsibility to ensure underrepresented groups are recruited for positions of
power and assignments, particularly in the public sector.
Initiatives
The government must follow up on the Equal Pay Commission’s proposal to establish a financial
support arrangement to make it attractive for companies to implement goal-oriented projects to
recruit women for management positions in the public and private sector. Other underrepresented
groups, such as people with disabilities and immigrant background, must be included in this target
group as well.
The authorities must implement active measures to recruit more people with immigrant background
and religious minorities, youth, lesbians, gays and people with disabilities into councils, boards and
committees. Public sector employers who use a recruitment company must give them the task of
particularly recruiting qualified employees from underrepresented groups. The goal achievement of
the measures will be evaluated after a period of four years.
The requirement for gender balance on the boards
must apply to more companies
The change to the Public Limited Companies Act has proven that it is possible, over the
course of a brief time, to achieve a gender balance in arenas that have traditionally been
reserved for men. The development in the percent of female board representatives in both
state-owned and private enterprises is progressing too slowly, however.
Initiatives
The authorities must also implement a rule on gender balance for enterprises where the municipality
or the county owns over 50 percent of the shares.
VIOLENCE AND
HATE CRIME
[Caption]
A woman jumped out of a window of a shelter at 8 St. Olavsgate, after being hit and
threatened with a pistol. She broke both her ankles and was taken to a hospital.
Photo: Ken Oprann/Scanpix
Norway was voted in as a new member of the UN Human Rights Council
this year. As indicated in Norway’s first national status report, we are
facing serious challenges in terms of violations of human rights, even in
Norway. The report reveals, among other things, the large scope of
violence in close relationships, assaults and rape of women and the scope
of hate crime.
Everyone has the right to freedom from violence. Violence and threats
of violence limit the control over ones’ own life and the opportunity for
participation and influence in society. Hate crime, racial statements,
violence in close relationships and sexual violence are serious social
problems.
Human trafficking is estimated to be one of the largest illegal trades in the
world. The fight against human trafficking is also a challenge in Norway. The Storting
has adopted a law which became effective as of January 1, 2009, that prohibits buying
sexual services in Norway. The purpose of this act is to help reduce the demand for
purchasing sex. It is too early to tell whether this law would have the desired effect.
“One week into September of this year the National Information Center on Violence and
Traumatic Stress (NKVTS) conducted a violence survey at the request of the Norwegian
Ministry of Justice and the Police. In the survey the number of reports of violence in close
relationships to the help apparatus was registered. Corresponding surveys were also
conducted in 2003 and 2005. The results this time, as before, are clear: violence in close
relationships occurs everywhere. It can strike anyone, anywhere, and we know that the
consequences of this type of attack are often serious.”
Minister of Justice Knut Storberget in a letter to the municipalities
January 9, 2009
VIOLENCE IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
The number of police-reported cases of abuse in family relationships has risen from 891 cases
in 2007 to 1,406 cases in 2008. This increase is related to the way the police register these
cases. The police are coming across more cases of abuse now than before.
The violence survey En uke med vold i nære relasjoner (A week of violence in close
relationships) depicts the use of violence that are reported to help apparatus during the
course of a randomly chosen week (Norwegian Ministry of Justice Violence Survey 2008).
The purpose of the survey is also to show the work the help apparatus does in relation to
violence and assaults among close family members.
A total of 1,357 reports were registered during the survey week where a total of 1,380
people were subjected to violence. One report may include several people subjected to
violence. 1,103 were girls or women (80 percent). 227 were boys or men (16 percent). The
gender was not listed for the other 50 people (4 percent). For 898 of the women and 166 of
the men the violence had taken place in their own home. The main abuser in all main cases
was a man aged 26 to 59.
Most of the women in this survey (735) had been subjected to violence by their partner or
former partner. Of the total 183 cases where the person subjected to violence was a man, the
corresponding number is 53.
Reports of children subjected to violence double
20 percent of the reports of violence in close relationships are about children.
274 children under the age of 18 were registered with their own cases in 2008. The
corresponding number for 2005 was 111 reports. In the majority of these cases the abuser
was a man. In addition to children registered with their own cases, 1,382 children live in a
home where an adult has been subjected to violence or other forms of physical and/or
psychological assaults.
The crisis centers and police received the most reports about violence in close
relationships during that particular week. Each crisis center receives an average of 11 such
cases and each police headquarters 9.5 cases per week according to the report from the
Norwegian Ministry of Justice.
Number of reports of violence in close relationships
to the help apparatus during the course of one week in September 2008
Source: Norwegian Ministry of Justice
(n = 1,357)
percent
Health Region
East
541
36%
Health Region
South
331
19%
Health Region
West
201
21%
Health Region
North
154
10%
Health Region
Central
130
14%
1,357
100%
Table 4.1
Victims of reported crimes
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB)
[See PDF]
Figure 4.2
Reported abuse in family relationships, all of Norway
Source: SSB
2008
Abuse in family relationships
Table 4.3
1,406
2007
891
2006
450
Reported crimes, all of Norway
Source: The Norwegian Police Directorate, 2009
*Preliminary figures
2008*
Sexually offensive behavior, via data systems
2007
119
2006
117
77
Table 4.4
MURDER
10 women were murdered in Norway in 2008.
Six of the murders were committed by spouses, former spouses or former significant
others. A total of 152 women have been murdered since 2000. 72 of the women (47 percent)
were murdered by men they had a close relationship to.
22 men were murdered in 2008. None of the murdered men had a close relationship to
the perpetrators. 172 men have been murdered since 2000. Five of these (3 percent) were
murdered by a former spouse or live-in partner.
In the murder cases from 2008 Norwegian National Bureau of Crime Investigation
(Kripos) has registered 36 perpetrators. 34 of these are men. 20 are Norwegian citizens. One
of the male perpetrators previously had a foreign citizenship. Two women committed murder
in 2008. One is a Norwegian citizen, the nationality was not listed for the other woman.
Number of murdered women and their relationship to the perpetrator
Source: Kripos
Relationship
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
Married
4
6
4
4
1
4
4
4
Divorced, separated
1
2
1
2
2
2
4
1
2
3
2
3
1
Significant others
Former significant
others
Murdered in close
relationship
Total murdered
Table 4.5
2
1
6
(60%)
10
2
2
1
1
2001
2000
6
8
7
7
5
10
7
10
12
(47%) (33%) (47%) (36%) (50%) (50%) (56%) (52%)
17
21
15
14
20
14
18
23
Number of murdered men and their relationship to the perpetrator
Source: Kripos
Relationship
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
Married
Divorced, separated
1
Significant others
Former significant
others
1
Murdered in close
relationship
Total murdered
0
1
(3%)
24
29
1
(6%)
0
18
20
Table 4.6
Murders in Norway, citizenship and gender, 2008
Source: Kripos
Norwegian
men
foreign
women
men
women
Murdered
16
5
6
5
Perpetrator
20
1
14
0
unknown
1
Table 7.4
RAPE
944 rapes and 118 attempted rapes were reported in 2008.
Not all reported rapes are investigated or end in charges being filed. 87 people were
convicted of rape in 2007. Of these 75 were sentenced to prison (SSB, 2009).
In 2008 complete investigations were conducted on 250 reports of rape. In this case it is a
drop from 2007 where the corresponding figure was 270. In 2008 charges were filed in 225
of the cases. Compared to 2007, the case handling time for 2008 has dropped significantly,
from 226 days to 172 days (the Police Directorate, 2009).
Reports and convictions
Source: SSB
[See PDF]
Figure 4.8
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN ASYLUM
RECEPTION CENTERS
60 incidents of violence against women at 45 reception centers were registered in 2006. In a
report, published in October 2008, Amnesty International Norway shows that the scope is
much larger. Women in asylum reception centers are subjected to harassment and sexual
assault by men outside of the family and also to violence in close relationships. Many do not
know their rights in Norway and how they can get help. Employees of the reception centers
do not know how to follow up on women who are subjected to harassment, threats, violence
and sexual assault. There are few employees and there is no round-the-clock staff at
reception centers (Amnesty International 2008).
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
[Framework text]
Purchasing sex prohibited beginning January 1, 2009
Fines or imprisonment up six months will be the sentencing guideline for the person who
gets sexual intercourse or treatment for a fee. Should the actions be particularly offensive,
the sentencing guidelines will be up to one year for the purchase of sex from adults and up
to three for purchasing sex from minors. The police will be permitted to arrest, incarcerate,
ransack, monitor and listen in on conversations if one of the parties to the conversation
agrees.
Source: Norwegian Ministry of Justice
[Framework text end]
[Framework text]
78 people had been fined for purchasing sex by late June 2009. The geographic spread was
43 people in Oslo, 16 in Hordaland, seven in Sør-Trøndelag, four in Rogaland, one in
Søndre Buskerud, one in Romerike, one in Nord-Trøndelag, two in Telemark, one in
Hedmark and two in Troms.
Source: Police Directorate, 2009
[Framework text end]
Norway is bound by the UN Palermo Protocol of 2000 to prevent, fight and prosecute all
trafficking in human beings, with particular emphasis on women and children. The
Stoltenberg administration’s plan of action for human trafficking (2006-2009) includes a
total of 37 initiatives to stop human trafficking and provide victims of human trafficking
assistance and protection.
As part of this plan of action the ROSA project was created in 2005 to coordinate the
provision of support for victims of human trafficking. ROSA is an acronym for reestablishment, housing, safety and assistance in Norwegian. The main task of the ROSA
project is to find housing for the women at the crisis centers and assist the women with
information about available support. ROSA had 113 inquiries in 2008 (90 in 2007). Of these
44 women accepted offers of a safe place to live. Over 90 percent of the women were from
Nigeria. ROSA had 67 inquiries in the first half of 2009, of these 22 women have accepted
offers of a place to live.
Human trafficking means to exploit others, either for prostitution or for other sexual
purposes, for forced labor, active war duty in another country or by removal of a person’s
organs through violence, threats, abuse of a vulnerable situation or through other
inappropriate behavior.
In Norway victims of human trafficking are allowed a reflection period of up to six
months. The reflection period is granted in the form of a temporary residence permit. The
purpose is to help pave the way for victims of human trafficking to break with the criminal
networks that are behind human trafficking. 40 people were granted a reflection period by
the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (the Norwegian Ministry of Labor and Social
Inclusion) in 2008. 50 people applied for a reflection period, of these 40 had their
application approved, 9 were rejected and 1 case was dropped.
The number of reports for human trafficking has risen from 11 in 2005 to 41 in 2008. Of
these the majority are in Oslo, Hordaland, Sør-Trøndelag and Rogaland, while the rest are
divided over another 12 districts (Coordination Unit for Victims of Human Trafficking (KOM)
Annual Report, Police Directorate, 2009).
The Police Directorate registered a total of 46 reports of human trafficking in 2008. 41 of
the reports were regarding exploitation for prostitution/aggravated prostitution, one case
was regarding the sale of organs and four cases concerned forced labor/aggravated forced
labor.
Reported crimes, all of Norway
Source: Police Directorate, 2009
Human trafficking
§224, sexual
exploitation
Table 4.9
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
41
28
28
11
13
GENITAL MUTILATION
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that three million African girls each year
risk being subjected to genital mutilation. Furthermore, WHO estimates that on a global
basis there are between 100 and 140 girls and women who live with the consequences of
genital mutilation.
The report Kjønnslemlestelse i Norge, ISF-rapport 2008:8 (Genital mutilation in
Norway, Institute for Social Research (ISF) Report 2008:8) concluded that 15 cases of
genital mutilation were discovered in Norway in 2006 and 2007. The ISF stressed that the
number is low compared to the actual risk group. The ISF concluded that information work,
knowledge about health and anatomy, mobilization in the environments, education,
theological competence and effective use of legislation are effective methods in the fight
against genital mutilation.
In November 2008 Children and Equality Minister Anniken Huitfeldt and Heath and Care
Services Minister Bjarne Håkon Hanssen launched new initiatives against genital mutilation.
One of the initiatives is to offer clinical abdominal examinations to all girls and women with a
background in areas where the incidence of genital mutilation is 30 percent or more. For
women who immigrate to Norway this offer is to be a part of the medical examination that
the municipalities offer. The examination is to be conducted by a competent doctor and be
offered to women within one year after arrival. Children residing here already will be offered
an examination through the school health service at the start of school in the 5th grade and in
the 10th grade. For this group the offer is to be effected by the health station and the school
health service.
During the first half of 2009 the Red Cross received 279 reports of forced marriages and
genital mutilations by telephone. 15 of these were about genital mutilation. In 2008 there
were a total of 581 reports, 16 of these were regarding genital mutilation.
The new guidelines from the Police Directorate became effective in June, and their
implementation means that parents who are planning to take children abroad to be genitally
mutilated will lose their passports.
FORCED MARRIAGE
Forced marriage has been forbidden in Norway since 2003. The penalty for forced marriage
is imprisonment for up to six years. Aiding and abetting is punished in the same way.
The government’s plan of action against forced marriage for the period 2008-2011
contains 40 initiatives with a focus on prevention and protection of those who are subjected
to assaults. In developing the initiatives special emphasis was placed on the school’s role, the
foreign service missions, the need for safe places to live and greater public sector interaction
and skills. Eight ministries in all are involved in working on the plan of action. The Children
and Equality Ministry has given the Institute for Social Research (ISF) the task of evaluating
the work. As part of the evaluation the ISF is to prepare annual sub-reports with an estimate
of the coordination and implementation of the plan.
One of the government’s initiatives against forced marriage is implementation of
mandatory interviews in individual cases of family reunification. The arrangement is limited
to only include the people who are living in Norway and were under the age of 25 at the time
the marriage was entered into and only if the spouse is a citizen of a country where a visa is
required to come to Norway. The goal of the initiative is for people who may be subjected to
forced married to make contact with the immigration authorities through the interview.
Inquiries to the information telephone
regarding forced marriage, Oslo Red Cross
Source: Oslo Red Cross, 2009
* The information telephone line was established on April 3, 2000.
Follow-up did not start until the second half of 2001
number
follow-up
follow-up %
2000*
170
0 of 170
—
2001*
168
26 of 168
15%
2002
236
84 of 236
36%
2003
223
56 of 223
25%
2004
252
50 of 252
20%
2005
175
57 of 175
33%
2006
314
24 of 314
8%
2007
460
47 of 460
10%
2008
581
39 of 581
7%
Table 4.10
HATE CRIME
The term “hate crime” is used for “crime that has racial, xenophobic and homophobic
motives or which, in one manner or another, is based on prejudices against a person or group
of persons based on their actual or perceived group affiliation” (Meland 2007). There is little
documentation of hate crime in Norway.
The Police Directorate and the Oslo Police District compiled the report Hatkriminalitet
(Hate Crime), 2009, based on a review of all cases labeled hate crime from 2007. The report
shows that 257 reports that fell under the definition of hate crime were registered in 2007. Of
the 257, 209 were related to race or ethnicity, 19 had religion as motive and in 29 of the cases
the motive was sexual orientation. Most of these reports pertained to violent actions,
discrimination, frightening and annoying behavior or disturbances of the peace, according to
the report. The Police Directorate also reports that 29 cases of discriminating or hateful
statements due to ethnicity and three cases based on gay orientation were registered in 2008
New criminal code will also include disabilities as a motive for hate crime. According to
the report, there are also grounds to evaluate the registration of hate crime on the basis of
political affiliation.
The review of the cases revealed widespread errors in registration by the police.
According to Politiets nasjonale innbyggerundersøkelse for 2008 (the Police National
Citizen Study for 2008) only 28 percent of everyone who is subjected to hate crime reports
the situation to the police.
Discriminatory or hateful statement (§135a)
Source: Police Directorate
2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Ethnicity, skin color,
national origin
Homosexual preference,
way of living or orientation
29
29
26
23
25
46
40
77
29
3
6
4
5
5
3
4
7
9
Table 4.11
RESOLUTION 1325
In October 2000 the UN Security Council adopted a resolution for women, peace and
security – Resolution 1325. The resolution came as a result of a documented need for goaloriented initiatives for women and girls in war and conflict.
The purpose of the resolution is to preserve the rights of women and girls in particular by
incorporating the gender aspect into all planning, implementation and evaluation of
initiatives for efforts for peace, safety and development.
The resolution underscores the importance of women participating in all peacekeeping
and peacebuilding activities. Resolution 1325 urges the member countries to insure higher
representation of women at all decision levels of national, regional and international
institutions as well as initiatives to prevent, control and resolve conflicts. Furthermore the
member countries are to incorporate elements directed towards protection, rights and special
needs for women in their national training and educational programs for military and civil
police forces for deployment.
Norwegian authorities are obligated through the resolution, among other things, to give
peacekeeping operation training in parity, work for prosecution of gender-based violence and
help promote the representation of women in conflict resolution.
The government launched a plan of action in March 2006 for the implementation of the
provisions of Resolution 1325. The plan action was drafted by the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and
the Police and the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality. Goals and initiatives to
strengthen the gender perspective in the activities of the relevant ministries are explicitly
outlined in the plan of action.
THE NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES
In 2008 the percentage of women being admitted to officers’ training school was 12 percent.
A total of 33,932 women and men appeared before the draft board in 2008. Of these 3,813
were women and of those 3,546 were found fit for duty.
Applicants and admissions at the Norwegian Armed Forces draft boards 2008
Source: Norwegian Armed Forces
total
percentage of
women
Number of
applicants
4,512
23%
Appeared for
admission
1,619
16%
816
12%
Number
admitted
Table 4.12
Women and men appearing before a draft board 2008
Source: Norwegian Armed Forces
men
women
Number appeared
before draft board
30,119
3,813
Number fit for service
24,358
3,546
Table 4.13
NORWEGIAN FORCES ABROAD
Norway currently has 479 Norwegian soldiers in international operations. In addition
up to 150 special troops are stationed in Kabul (updated January 13, 2009). Slightly
fewer than 8 percent women were on duty in other countries at the end of 2008. At
the end of 2006 this percentage was 5 percent (Norwegian Ministry of Defense,
January 14, 2009).
mt
violence in close relationships
Woman beaten –
police did not respond
The police in Vest-Finnmark refused to respond when they got a report that a woman had been brutally beaten by her
significant other inside of her house. Neighbors who saw the abuse called the police. Minister of Justice Knut Storberget
had the following comment on the incident: “My first reaction is that is this account is true, then we are looking at a case
where we must very clearly say that the police should have stepped in.”
www.nrk.no, June 5, 2009
“The typical perpetrator is a Norwegian man, aged 30-40, who has a close relation to the victim. An intoxicating
substance is often part of the picture. In more than half of the cases the victim is a Norwegian woman.”
Source: Report to the Storting No. 8
2008—2009 Om menn, mannsroller og likestilling (On men, male roles and gender equality)
“Partner violence is a generic term for completely different types of violence. One main difference is between what is
called “patriarchal terrorism”, which we hereafter will call aggravated, repeated violence, and what is called “episodic
partner violence”, hereafter called violence that occurs occasionally.”
Source: Report to the Storting No. 8
2008—2009 Om menn, mannsroller og likestilling
New law on right to
crisis center offer
In June 2009 the Odelsting, the lower house of the Norwegian parliament, adopted a new law that obligates the
municipalities to insure a crisis center offer for all citizens in Norway. The law clarifies what the offer must contain and
specifies that the housing offer for women and men must be physically separated. The offer must include a round-theclock telephone service, a housing offer, a day offer and follow-up during the re-establishment phase for the victim of
violence.
When the consultation statement on the law was sent from the ministries last autumn, the language was gender
neutral. In its consultative reply, the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud generally support the proposal, but they
felt that the proposal did not show enough regards for the fact that men and women may have different needs for crisis
center offers.
Source: regjeringen.no
Violence alarms
and visitation bans
There were 1,059 breaches of visitation bans in 2008, an increase of 12.7 percent from 940 in 2007. The number of
people who were given a violence alarm was 1,636 in 2008 as opposed to 1,370 the year before.
Source: Police Directorate, 2009
mt
rape
Minimum sentence
increased to three years
In a new criminal code adopted by the Storting the maximum sentences guidelines for rape have increased. The
minimum sentence for full rape is increased to three years. The date on which the new criminal code will become
effective has not been determined yet, but will be on 1 January 2012 at the earliest, according to the legal department at
the Norwegian Ministry of Justice.
Source: regjeringen.no
mt
asylum reception centers
Safer everyday life
The government proposes appropriating NOK 30 million for sheltering single women in reception centers. They will be
offered housing that is more physically separated from the male residents. This means, among other things, their own
entry, sitting room and access to toilet and shower without having to go through common areas or common hallways.
Regjeringen.no, January 26, 2009
mt
human trafficking
Financial support
for a better everyday life
The government has allocated NOK 10 million for initiatives and projects than can improve the situation for and help
women and men out of prostitution. Support is provided for initiatives for professional training and for work training
initiatives, psychiatric follow-up, training, legal assistance and housing offers. The Ministry of Justice has allocated
resources to 15 projects. Projects in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, as well as Stavanger have received money.
Source: www.regjeringen.no, June 11, 2009
“Our users often tell very dramatic stories about having been subjected to human trafficking. There are stories about the
transport from their home country to Europe, stories about broken promises and serious threats about violence against
them and their family. And that is often only the beginning of what awaits them in Europe. There is usually a story about
rapes and about both physical and psychological violence beginning.”
Source: Pro Sentret’s Annual Report 2008
“Human beings are not a commodity. With the ban on the purchases of sex we would like to make human traffickers
less interested in setting their sights on Norway,” Knut Storberget.
Source: Norwegian Ministries of Justice, December 12, 2008
mt
genital mutilation
Fear of circumcision
grants residence in Norway
50 Somalis and Ethiopians were granted residence in Norway because the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board fears
that the families will circumcise the daughters if they return to their home country. In those 50 appeals the Norwegian
Immigration Appeals Board, upon review of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s decision, granted residency to
African families because their child is a girl.
Source: TV2 news, April 19, 2009
Parents mistakenly charged with genital mutilation
The police have apologized to two Somali parents who were charged and taken into custody for having genitally
mutilated their daughters. The parents were released after examinations which proved that the children had not been
genitally mutilated after all.
Source: TV2, July 4, 2009
Will take passports
from molesters
“The goal is for the police to make wider use of the option of revoking the passports if there is suspicion that people are
traveling abroad to commit such abuse,” says Police Inspector Thorstein Næss of the Police Directorate. That has only
happened a few times to date in Norway.
Source: bt.no, July 10, 2009
Imam comes out with book against
genital mutilation
Imam Abdinur Mahamud in Trondheim wanted to show that genital mutilation is contrary to Islam, so he wrote a book
on the subject based on the Koran and the Sharia. “I used the Koran and the Sharia (Islamic law) as a basis to show that
female circumcision is contrary to Islam. The book goes through what circumcision is and what Islam says about this.
Source: NRK Trøndelag, June 29, 2009
mt
forced marriage
Wants door-to door action
The minority should join together in a door-to-door action against forced marriage,” believes Shahzad Raha, IT founder
and writer.
“They must dare to deal with the problem, not just play along.”
He believes that public condemnation of forced marriage would be too ineffectual.
“A stream of young people is being forced into marriage or lives with the threat of being married off against their own
will. 30 years of different initiatives has clearly not worked,” says Rana to Dagsavisen.
Source: Dagsavisen, July 29, 2009
Clear initiatives against
forced marriage
Politician Afshan Rafiq believes that anonymous concern reports are the solution in the fight against forced marriage.
She would also like goal-oriented information in multiple languages, skills building, mediation authorities and a low
threshold offers where young people, parents or acquaintances can call in their concerns.
Source: lokalavisen.no, August 5, 2009
Lesbians and gays from honor cultures
More gays in Norway that come from honor cultures have come forward with their stories. They risk losing their job
and network and being excluded from their entire cultural society. They live in fear, either of reprisals from their own
community or violence and murder.
Source: nrk.no, October 20, 2009
mt
hate crime
Anders and Michael held hands —
were attacked in Grønland in Oslo
“Suddenly a man in his 40s came over to us and said: I don’t like this. This is a Muslim part of town. We did not walk
more than four or five meters before this man came from behind and kicked me hard,” says Anders.
Dagbladet, August 19, 2009
Racial violence at gas station
“He chose to ignore the gang on the way in. But when he came out again, the racial harassment continued. At least one
of them is also said to have given the man the finger. When he asked why they did that, there was a meltdown,” says Gro
Smedsrud, station chief at Manglerud Police Station
The 48-year-old was attacked from several directions and was beaten and kicked. It resulted in a broken nose and a
severe concussion. Yesterday his condition was good enough for the police to interview him, but he will remain at the
hospital until today, in any case.”
Romerikes Blad, September 15, 2009
mt
Resolution 1325/
the Norwegian Armed Forces/
Norwegian forces
Soldiers passive about abuse of woman
Norwegian soldiers did not intervene during the physical mistreatment of an Afghan woman, according to a report on
how the female perspective is integrated in the military forces in Afghanistan. The reason was that the soldiers feared
that the man would lose face, which could lead to even worse abuse after the soldiers left.
“The general opinion was that the situation of women was not part of the mandate,” says the report. None of the
people interviewed at the base were familiar with the contents of the UN resolution.
Source: Dagbladet, June 4, 2009
In the Democratic Republic of Congo the rapes continue daily, year after year. There is no shortage of reports. We know
about the violence, the mutilation, the suffering. We know about the shame, the exclusion, the stigma and the
breakdown of the local societies. We hear about entire towns where all of the women are raped. Doctors tell about
women who have their abdomen ruined with knives, weapons and tree trunks. Girls aged 8-9 are kidnapped by militia
and held as sex slaves. Many become pregnant and infected by HIV.
Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dagbladet, August 6, 2009
Slamming the Norwegian Ministry of Defense
In 2005 and 2006 Prio researchers Helga Hernes and Torunn Tryggestad contributed to the government’s plan of
action on Resolution 1325. Both understood little when the NATO report presented last week showed that Norwegian
soldiers in Afghanistan had little focus on women at all in their work, and that no one had heard about UN Resolution
1325.
“When the soldiers received training, they got a lecture in cultural understanding that tells them that they should not
take a position on women to avoid conflict. That is a misguided cultural understanding,” says Tryggestad to
Dagbladet.no (August 6, 2009).
Lack of female participation holds progress back
The progress in Afghanistan is being held back by the insufficient inclusion of women . Too few resources are used to
improve the standing of women according to the report Assessment of UNIFEM in Afghanistan. There are also major
challenges in organization and program development and this, together with a failure to coordinate the development
work, is cause for concern.
Source: bistandsaktuelt.no, September 4, 2009
TOP NOTATION
The Storting adopted a new law that obligates municipalities to insure a crisis center offer for
all citizens in Norway.
BOTTOM NOTATION
The government which has not implemented the Rape Committee’s important proposals for
preventive measures. The topic of sexual violence and harassment must become part of class
instruction as part of the preventive effort.
THE OMBUD’S
OPINION
Women are murdered by their ex-husbands
The biggest threat for many women in Norway is their own significant others and family
members. The gender-based violence robs women of their fundamental freedom and gives
many children unacceptable circumstances to grow up in. Most women who were murdered
in Norway were murdered by a former lover or former spouse.
Initiatives
The police must survey these cases and get a general perspective of whether the murdered women had
reported the perpetrators earlier for violence or threats of violence and whether any protective
measures were taken.
The police are now in the process of replacing the old violence alarms with new ones containing, for
one thing, an improved GOS receiver. 1,693 violence alarms had been distributed as of August
2009. New mobiles should undergo follow-up routines to make certain that they are working as
intended. It is important that women equipped with violence alarms can feel confident that they will
get help quickly when they need it.
Violence and sexualized violence must be taken seriously
The police drop an enormous number of rape cases. The government appointed Rape
Committee, which submitted its report in 2008, estimates that less than one percent of the
assaults result in a conviction. Three out of four rapes are committed by men who the rape
victim knew from the past. The assaults most often take place in private residences.
It is the assault rapes, however, that primarily get the attention of the media.
Initiatives
The government should initiate a nationwide study on rape as the Rape Committee has suggested.
The authorities’ efforts against sexualized violence must be reinforced. Among other things mandatory
instruction in gender, sexuality and power should be introduced in school. The subject of sexualized
assault must be incorporated into the instruction on cohabitation and sexuality at the elementary
school level. A coordinated and reinforced help apparatus directed towards all forms of violence in
close relationships as proposed by the Rape Committee is important here.
Higher security for residents of asylum reception centers
People in reception centers are in a particularly vulnerable situation and the authorities must
secure routines and initiatives that protect both women and men against violence and sexual
assault. Several people have been subjected to assaults both before they came to Norway and
afterwards. That is particularly true for women. Asylum seekers who have been subjected to
violence must be insured the necessary follow-up by health staff.
Initiatives
Employees of asylum reception centers must be qualified to deal with violence against women.
The authorities must see that all asylum reception centers are staffed round-the-clock.
All asylum reception centers must be able to offer separate residence departments for women.
Female asylum seekers must be informed about available offers and rights that women who are
subjected to violence have in Norway. The health service must be aware of and pick up on the needs
of asylum seekers that have been subjected to violence.
Victims of human trafficking must get better help
Up to now the victims of human trafficking in Norway have primarily been women exploited
for prostitution. A few male victims of human trafficking, exploited for prostitution, have also
contacted the help apparatus.
New initiatives by the government are needed.
Initiatives
The government must find new residency solutions for victims of human trafficking. Crisis centers are
not necessarily a suitable residence offer for everyone, and are completely inappropriate for men
subjected to human trafficking. This is a challenge that the government must face.
It is important that the victims of human trafficking receive varied offers that can help improve their
situation. The initiatives may include offers like a job, language instruction and other types of
training that they can use to move on in life, irrespective of whether they are going back to their
home country or stay in Norway.
Genital mutilation must be fought
Even though there is no definite documentation on the scope of genital mutilation in Norway,
there is no doubt that such assaults happen. The statutory prohibition came in 1996. The first
charges of genital mutilation came last year against a married couple.
Preventive efforts in the form of educational work and mobilization in at-risk
environments are necessary in the fight against genital mutilation.
Initiatives
The government must make enough resources available for a systematic educational effort in the
schools and among kindergarten employees. This could raise the visibility and standing of agents of
change and health staff who work with prevention and treatment of genital mutilation.
The work against genital mutilation must become an integral part of the regular health work,
particularly within the school health service. There should be interdisciplinary cooperation among
the relevant institutions to reinforce the prevention efforts.
Hate crime must be documented
Norway must have zero tolerance towards hate crime. It is unacceptable that people are
particularly subjected to violence because they belong to minority groups. There should be a
long-term commitment to attitude-changing work.
Initiatives
The proposal for a new criminal code proposes giving functionally impaired people a criminal
protection against hateful statements and discrimination. This is good, but the definition of hate
crime should be expanded to include gender as well.
Police training - to pick up on, understand and take care of victims of violence and make sure that
instances of hate crime are actually revealed.
The police must insure that hate crime is properly registered and documented. Hate crime directed
towards people with disabilities must also be registered.