Sub-goal 7: Honour-related violence and oppression must end

In September 2025, the Government decided to introduce a seventh gender equality policy sub-goal, which states: “Honour-related violence and oppression must cease. Everyone, regardless of gender, should have the same rights and opportunities throughout their lives to live their lives without being restricted by collectively based honour norms.”

Through the seventh sub-goal, the Government makes clear that honour-related violence and oppression must be prevented and combated both as part of efforts to combat men’s violence against women and through specific measures. At the same time, it emphasises that this work requires knowledge of specific mechanisms and forms of violence that need to be addressed through targeted measures.

The seventh sub-goal therefore gives the issue greater visibility and provides clearer direction, strengthening the opportunities for preventive work and for monitoring efforts to achieve the objective.

Girls and women are most exposed

Honour-related violence and oppression are a serious social problem that restrict individuals’ freedom and right to self-determination. The violence and oppression are perpetrated with the aim of maintaining or restoring a family’s or collective’s notions of honour, which are linked to norms concerning, for example, gender, sexuality and social behaviour.

Honour-related violence and oppression often involve collective control. Norms are upheld within the family, extended family or collective, distinguishing this violence from many other forms of violence, which more often involve an individual perpetrator.

Girls and women may be particularly vulnerable to honour-related violence and oppression, not least forms of violence such as child and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Boys and men can also be subjected to such violence, which may involve control and restrictions regarding their choice of partner, education or lifestyle. They may also be pressured to exercise control or violence against other family members, often girls and women.

LGBTQI people and people with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable, as deviating from the norm can entail an increased risk.

Difficult to measure how widespread the violence and oppression are 

There is currently no comprehensive and reliable data on the prevalence of honour-related violence and oppression in society. Nor are there any established indicators or measurable targets linked to the seventh gender equality policy sub-goal.

However, reports show that there are significant challenges in measuring its extent. Exposure is often linked to control, fear, dependency and strong demands for loyalty, meaning that many people subjected to it do not disclose their situation or participate in surveys. This means that the true extent is likely to be significantly higher than reported figures suggest.

Attempts that have been made to measure the extent provide some guidance. Several surveys show that exposure to various forms of control and restrictions is relatively widespread among young people. In some studies, around one in ten young people aged 16–29 report having experienced restrictions on their choice of partner. At the same time, the results vary depending on how questions are formulated and which definitions are used, making comparisons over time even more difficult.

With regard to female genital mutilation, the National Board of Health and Welfare estimated in 2023 that approximately 68,000 girls and women may have undergone female genital mutilation, and that between 13,000 and 23,000 girls may be at risk.

Crime statistics do not provide a complete picture either. The number of reported offences with an honour-related motive is low in comparison with what other sources indicate. At the same time, the clearance rate is low. Several factors may contribute to this, including the fact that people subjected to violence and witnesses may fear the consequences of reporting an offence or may be dependent on the perpetrators.

The whole of society needs to improve its prevention and efforts to combat honour-related violence and oppression

There is still a lack of knowledge about honour-related violence and oppression, both within public authorities and among people who come into contact with those subjected to it, as well as in society more broadly. At the same time, there is considerable practical knowledge. This includes experience gained through work in areas such as social services, schools, the justice system and civil society, where professionals encounter and deal with cases on a daily basis.

This knowledge has contributed to a relatively broad consensus in certain areas of understanding of the violence and oppression. For interventions to have an impact, greater knowledge is needed, but knowledge must also be put into practice and systematically monitored.

At the same time, access to evidence-based and evaluated methods and approaches that are known to be effective is limited. This applies particularly to methods for preventing violence and oppression, but also to methods for identifying people subjected to violence, conducting risk and protection assessments, and providing appropriate protection and support. The lack of such methods makes it more difficult to ensure consistent and legally sound practice and affects the ability to guarantee the quality of interventions.

The collective dynamics and norms associated with honour-related violence and oppression can also contribute to a culture of silence and the invisibility of those subjected to violence. This can make the violence particularly difficult to detect and mean that support interventions do not reach those in need in time.

Decisions by public authorities to intervene can be a risk factor for a person being taken to another country where they may be at risk of, for example, child or forced marriage, female genital mutilation, attempts at conversion, being sent abroad for “re-education”, or other forms of violence and oppression. At the same time, such interventions are often necessary to ensure protection and support, placing demands on adequate risk assessments, cooperation and legally sound action.

National action plan to guide future work

In connection with the introduction of the seventh sub-goal in 2025, the sixth sub-goal concerning men’s violence against women, intimate partner violence, and exploitation in prostitution and human trafficking was also clarified. In April 2026, the Government presented a new ten-year national strategy on men’s violence against women, including honour-related violence and oppression, as well as prostitution and human trafficking.

As part of the strategy, a specific action plan on honour-related violence and oppression will be developed for the period 2026–2028, as well as a national action plan on prostitution and human trafficking. The action plans will translate the strategy’s direction into concrete measures and contribute to more coordinated and long-term efforts.

Since January 2026, the Swedish Gender Equality Agency has been responsible for national coordination on honour-related violence and oppression (NSHRV). This responsibility involves gathering and disseminating knowledge, supporting relevant actors, and contributing to coordinated, knowledge-based work throughout the country. As part of NSHRV, the Swedish Gender Equality Agency will also regularly map the prevalence of honour-related violence and oppression and monitor society’s efforts to address it.

What needs to be done to reduce honour-related violence and oppression?

To achieve the goal of ending honour-related violence and oppression, several measures need to be prioritised, including:

• develop, strengthen and disseminate knowledge about honour-related violence and oppression
• support and strengthen the capacity of public authorities, regions and municipalities to carry out knowledge-based and preventive work
• ensure that protection and support are available on an equal basis throughout the country
• ensure that people subjected to violence receive consistent, legally sound and knowledge-based treatment in their contact with schools, social services, health and medical care, and the justice system
• develop monitoring and data collection, including indicators, to track developments and assess the impact of interventions.