Gender-based violence and honour-based violence and oppression were central themes at the Nordic and Baltic gender equality ministers meeting in Stockholm on 27 November with Uldis Augulis, Minister of Welfare of Latvia, and Agnese Gaile, Senior Expert on Gender Equality of the Ministry of Welfare, among the attendees.
The meeting took place in connection with a meeting in the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality and LGBTI earlier in the day, which also featured Karen Ellemann, the Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The main purpose of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation among the participating countries in combating domestic violence and ceasing violence against women.
Ministers shared practices and approaches for addressing these issues in their respective countries. Other matters discussed during the meeting included the countries’ efforts to prevent gender-based violence and honour-based violence and oppression, including preventative work with perpetrators.
Minister Augulis explained Latvia’s comprehensive approach to eliminating violence, which includes legal protection, providing support and assistance to victims and conducting public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing tolerance and indifference towards violence. He also highlighted the invaluable role of non-governmental organisations and their collaboration with the State Police and foreign institutions in solving complex gender-based violence and human trafficking cases.
At the meeting, Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, informed about the Pushing for Progress declaration and programme, which was adopted earlier in the day. With a joint Nordic effort 2025-2027, the Nordic governments will re-enforce their commitment to defending advancements already made on gender-equality and equal rights for LGBTI people while pushing even further for continued progress. For that purpose, the Nordic Ministers for Gender Equality & LGBTI have adopted a joint declaration and joined forces with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
