Financial support for gender equality and women’s integrity among national minorities

2010-09-01

The Swedish National Institute of Public Health now announces funds for financial support for projects dealing with gender equality, women's integrity and collaboration among the national minorities - Jews, Romanies, Saamis, Finns and people from Tornedalen speaking Meänkieli. For this announcement, which is part of a government commission, one million Swedish crowns are set aside.

It is now possible for organizations working with national minorities to apply for financial support for various types of gender equality projects in 2011 and 2012. Deadline for applications is 30 September 2010.

The aim of the projects is to give women belonging to national minorities a stronger position in society. Some examples of possible preventive actions:

• activities such as women’s aid and support lines.
• education for men aimed for violence prevention.
• collaboration efforts, such as building or improving a long-term collaboration between different organizations and public authorities that come into contact with women belonging to the national minorities that are victims of violence.

Several public authorities have been mandated by the government to help to strengthen the position in society for women belonging to the national minorities. The Swedish National Institute of Public Health has a mandate to examine how women that belong to the national minorities and are exposed to violence are treated and supported by public authorities.

A survey from 2009 shows that the problems that women belonging to the national minorities experience from encounters with public authorities in general appear to harmonize with women from the majority population. However, there are specific differences that must not be diminished. The study indicates a need for more knowledge about men's violence against women in general, but also linked to ethnic diversity. The way public authorities encounter women is also seen as a major development area. Based on the survey, The Swedish National Institute of Public Health has been commissioned to carry out the following action programme:

• education for government officials who encounter women that are victims of violence.
• develop and disseminate information to government officials on how to encounter women belonging to the national minorities.
• financially support the work on gender equality, women's integrity and increased collaboration between public authorities and organizations working for national minorities.