Response to interpellation 2023/24:272 on honor-based oppression among boys
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
L believes that honor-related violence and oppression is unacceptable and violates fundamental freedoms and rights for both women and boys. L proposes a three-year investment of 50 million SEK per year to strengthen the work against gender-related violence and honor-related oppression. L works on increasing the competence of school, healthcare, and social services staff to better be able to support those affected. L argues that Sweden is behind schedule and that the government is now working with full force to protect the group 1. L emphasizes that the right to control one's own body and sexuality is non-negotiable 2. SD believes that boys are affected by honor oppression, including child marriages and upbringing trips where they risk violence and abuse. SD argues that national mapping, better routines in municipalities, and that schools should raise the alarm are required. SD highlights that honor-related violence causes physical injuries, stigmatization, and suicidal thoughts. SD believes that honor violence has escalated due to previous governments' migration policy and that there are clear links between immigration from certain countries and honor oppression 3.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! Sara Gille has asked the Minister for Social Affairs in what way the Minister and the Government intend to help boys who are affected by honor oppression and suffer from mental ill-health. The work within the Government is so distributed that it is I who shall answer the interpellation.
I would like to begin by thanking you for the interpellation and for the member's commitment to the work of preventing and combating honor-related violence and oppression.
Honor-related violence affects every individual's safety and violates the fundamental freedoms and rights of those subjected to violence. It means great suffering for individuals, both girls and women as well as boys, men, and hbtqi-persons.
Honor-related violence and oppression means that people are restricted in their lives and subjected to pressure and violence aimed at maintaining the family's control over the individual. Honor-related violence and oppression is based on strong patriarchal and heteronormative ideas. It restricts individuals' life choices and constitutes a major obstacle to achieving equality. Being subjected to violence can also contribute to an increased risk of various forms of mental and physical ill health, both in the short and in the long term.
The government is therefore intensifying the work against honor-related violence and oppression.
In the budget bill for 2024, the government proposes a three-year investment of an additional 50 million kronor per year to strengthen the work against gender-related violence and honor-related violence and oppression. Also in the area of mental health, we propose an intensified and extended investment during the period 2024-2026.
In August 2023, the government also decided on an investigation for strengthened long-term management of the work against gender-related violence and honor-related violence and oppression. The investigator shall, among other things, assess whether a specific gender equality policy sub-goal should be introduced to prevent and combat honor-related violence and oppression.
The government is now working intensively to develop a new action program to counter and combat gender-related violence and honor-related violence and oppression, which shall apply for 2024-2026. Parallel to this, work is underway on a new national strategy in the area of mental health and suicide prevention.
Several authorities already have important assignments in the area. In June 2023, the Gender Equality Authority was tasked with mapping the prevalence of men's vulnerability to violence in intimate relationships, which also includes honor-related violence and oppression.
The National Competence Centre against Honor-Related Violence and Oppression at the County Administrative Board in Östergötland County shall offer the County Administrative Boards support in the development of regional resource centers to combat honor-related violence and oppression. Boys and men who are exposed to different forms of honor-related violence and oppression are a current target group for these regional resource centers.
Let me be crystal clear: Honor-related violence and oppression is unacceptable. Individual freedom and human rights shall apply to everyone, both women and girls as well as men and boys. The government will continue that work with full force. Violence must go.
Sara Gille (SD)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer to my interpellation. I am pleased to receive the Minister's answer. We Sverigedemokrater have worked intensively to try to combat honor oppression and the prevalence of violence in the country.
We know that this government, together with the Sweden Democrats, is investing more money than previous governments have done in the fight against honor-related violence and oppression, which is good.
In today's Sweden, we are unfortunately well acquainted with honor-related violence and oppression. And often, honor-related violence and oppression are associated with women and young girls. But there is also a group that is actually forgotten, and that is the boys. The fact is that even boys and young men can be subjected to threats, control, and restrictions that have their background in honor-related norms. Men's and families' honor depends on women's and girls' sexual behavior, and this also connects with the occurrence of child marriage, forced marriage, as well as female genital mutilation of girls and women.
The choice of a partner is, for example, many times a matter for the family or a larger collective. Control occurs in order to prevent shame, a shame that does not only affect the family but the entire lineage and the entire clan society.
Madam Speaker! Boys or young men in a family can be persuaded or forced to guard and control their sisters or other female relatives, as well as subject them to violence. It is about maintaining the family's control over the individual in order to protect the family's honor.
I fully understand that it is very difficult to identify who is subjected to honor-related violence and oppression and also how to help them in the best way. It is difficult to find out who or whom who perpetrate the honor violence and oppression. There can be several perpetrators, and it can also be the case that some are both perpetrators and victims, as well as that there are those who must take on someone else's actions to protect the family. This makes it even more complex.
Some can be both perpetrators and victims in that they are forced to keep track of and perhaps even abuse their siblings. If boys and young men do not do that and instead protect or support girls or women who break the norm and the family's values, they also risk being subjected to violence. The boys can then end up in a dilemma where they must fulfill the demands from the family while simultaneously understanding the sister's or cousin's desire to have a certain amount of living space.
Going against the family's norms and values involves such great risks that they may have to leave the family and, in some cases, completely break contact with them. Like girls, boys also have requirements on them not to live a Western life but instead live under honor norms. This means that they may not be able to choose their partner and whom they shall marry, that they do not have the right to choose a religion - or the right to abstain from a religion - and so on.
Madam Speaker! In addition to this oppression, there is also the psychological oppression, which is often forgotten. Mental ill-health is very widespread among victims of honor oppression, and in that regard, I would like to ask in what way the Minister and the Government plan to act to help specifically boys who are affected by honor oppression and suffer from mental ill-health.
Mona Olin (SD)
Madam Speaker! In Sweden, we have a proud history of equality, but there are still challenges that we must address. Today, I want to talk about how honor-related violence affects the mental health of young boys and men.
Honor-related violence against boys and men is a complex and sensitive issue that sometimes has not been given sufficient attention compared to similar violence directed at women. It does occur, however, and it has serious consequences for those affected.
Even though women are more often affected by honor-related violence, it is important to emphasize that men also become victims. Increasing awareness of the diversity of violence and oppression that can affect both genders is crucial for creating a more just and supportive environment for everyone. Legislation, education, and support measures are important tools to counteract honor-related violence against both women and men.
Deeply rooted patriarchal structures can play a role in the preservation of power and control within families and societies. Those who break these structures can be subjected to violence in order for the prevailing order to be maintained. Men and boys can be subjected to various forms of abuse in the form of violence and control measures if their behavior, choices, or relationships are considered to threaten the family's or the clan's honor. Examples of honor-related violence against boys and men are physical or psychological violence and control over their social or personal lives. They can be subjected to pressure to follow specific traditional norms and expectations, which in turn can lead to mental ill-health and other negative consequences.
Examples of honor-related violence are physical violence, forced marriage, and threats of violence and harassment. Other examples are control of behavior and isolation - that one isolates someone from family, friends and society to control their behavior. It can also be psychosocial violence, mental oppression, humiliation or manipulation that affects the victim's self-esteem and mental health.
Madam Speaker! It is important to combat honor-related violence by increasing awareness, by offering support and protection to those who are vulnerable, and by promoting changes in attitudes and norms that support such acts of violence. The Government and Sverigedemokraterna are making a difference by maintaining a consistent dialogue and by working to strengthen the protection and support for vulnerable boys and men.
The social services face several challenges when it comes to handling issues regarding honor-related violence, including a lack of knowledge and competence. There are also problems with cooperation and coordination between authorities, difficulties in creating trust, and legal challenges. It is necessary to develop strategies that focus on education, cooperation, and creating a safe environment for those affected.
How does the Minister intend to work to ensure that social services staff have sufficient knowledge about honor-exposed boys and girls as well as their mental health and traumas, as well as the long-term difficulties these may entail, in order to be able to meet the great need that exists?
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by extending a warm thanks to the interpellor for that we are here in the chamber and discussing this issue. I completely share the problem description that the interpellor describes. I also share the view that this is an issue that deserves significantly much more attention and focus than it has received so far, and it is something that I in my ministerial role and the government as a whole are working on.
It is indeed important that we talk about the boys in a context of honor. When we deal with issues concerning a context of honor, it is important to see that on the perpetrator side there can be collectives - clans - where both men and women are included, and that on the victim side there can be both boys and girls. Just as the interpellor describes, there can also sometimes be boys who are both victims and perpetrators.
It is against this background that the government has appointed an inquiry where the investigator has been asked to look at whether specifically honor-related violence can be broken out as a separate gender equality policy sub-objective so that we can truly shed light on the complexity of this. It is, in fact, the first step for us to be able to move forward in the issue.
We need to see how honor-related violence and oppression affect all those who are subjected to it. This concerns both the physical violence that many testify to being subjected to and the mental ill-health one suffers from, either when one as a girl is controlled by, for example, her brothers or other male relatives, or when one as a boy has no other choice than to control his sisters.
We need to step up the work in general when it comes to mental ill-health. The Government is stepping up the work in general regarding mental health and suicide prevention. In that area, the Government is making major investments; during 2023, we have allocated over 1.6 billion kronor to strengthen the work of municipalities and regions with mental health and suicide prevention. We have also significantly reinforced the funds to increase accessibility to BUP and ensure that children and young people receive care in a timely manner. The National Board of Health and Welfare has also been tasked, in collaboration with several agencies, to develop a national health program for children and young people.
We will continue this work by strengthening and extending initiatives within the area of mental health. The Government sees a huge need for this generally. But just as has been pointed out in the debate, it is important that the actors who can help and make a difference in this work also have the right knowledge. This applies to school staff, healthcare staff, and staff within social services. Perhaps precisely because we have talked too little about this issue, we see large knowledge gaps and that it affects the target group we are talking about here.
With this in mind, we currently have ongoing assignments where several authorities are working to increase competence specifically among these professional groups. I foresee that we will need to work with this for a long time so that this group can receive the right support and protection and so that we can take preventive measures that prevent this violence and oppression from taking place.
Sara Gille (SD)
Madam Speaker! I agree with many of the things the Minister mentions. Among other things, we now know that the current government, together with the Sweden Democrats, is working diligently on honor-related violence and oppression and that we have a number of investigations underway. I naturally look forward to being able to take part in these investigations when they are completed. Of course, it is good to have investigations, but I would still like us to act faster.
This is a very complex area. The problems are in many ways difficult to detect and stop, which I believe we all agree on. But we must act, and we must not fail those who are affected. The longer time passes, the more people suffer.
Regarding the school world, I believe we have a lot of work to do. There we can reach the children, and hopefully we can also give them the courage to tell what they are being subjected to. We can also give them knowledge about our Western way of life. It is about everyone, regardless of gender, having the right to choose their own religion, the right to opt out of religion if they wish, the right to choose whom they want to marry, and so on.
For someone living in a context of honor, it is not the easiest thing to tell anyone about it, and it is also not the easiest to break away from it. Being able to stand up against the family, the clan society, and everything that is one's entire identity is something that is incredibly difficult and unthinkable for many.
Madam Speaker! Being able to choose who one wants to share one's life with is something that should be a self-evident matter, but unfortunately, it is not so for everyone, nor for the boys. Most often, one thinks that girls and women are the ones who are affected, but it is clearly the case that boys are also affected by this. Despite the fact that we have a law on child marriage, many want to marry off children before they have turned 18, which of course also applies to boys.
Boys also risk being taken abroad on upbringing trips. Today, it is not known how many are taken on upbringing trips, but it is known that it happens. Where they end up, they risk being subjected to violence and other abuses. They can be taken abroad to be raised as a result of the parents having failed in their upbringing. Sometimes it is because the boys are considered too Western. It can also happen when the children have ended up in the criminal world and the parents do not want the Swedish justice system to apply to their children.
Those who return are often in significantly worse condition, with mental ill-health and substance abuse, and they are often traumatized. No one seems to know how many it concerns, but it could be hundreds. When one does not protect and help the children, one fails their needs and rights. Few municipalities have routines. We need to have a mapping - nationally, regionally and municipally. It is the schools' responsibility to sound the alarm and report if they suspect that a child is at risk of being taken away. In that case, it is important that there are methods and knowledge on how to act.
Madam Speaker! With all this said, I would like to take the opportunity to ask the Minister if she and the government intend to introduce national statistics regarding the removal of children. I would also like to know exactly what the Minister and the government plan to do to prevent people from being sent away on fosterage trips.
Mona Olin (SD)
Madam Speaker! The consequences of honor-related violence against boys and men can be physical injuries and trauma as a result of acts of violence. It is important to understand these causes and consequences in order to be able to work against and prevent honor-related violence as well as to support those who are affected. Education, awareness, and supportive networks play a central role in creating change and promoting respect for individuals' rights and dignity.
Honor-related violence has significant consequences for the mental health of men and boys. They can experience stigmatization and feelings of guilt, which can lead to anxiety and depression. The risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts increases, and difficulties in creating and maintaining healthy relationships arise due to fear, lack of trust, and social isolation. Identity crises can occur, and fear of reprisals can make it difficult to seek help. These experiences can also increase the risk of repeating patterns of violence and create a vicious cycle. To address these mental health problems, it is crucial to create a safe and supportive environment and a culture where it is acceptable to seek help without fear. That there are support systems in place is crucial for creating a positive change.
Madam Speaker! It is important to create and support laws, programs, and initiatives to improve the situation for vulnerable boys and men affected by honor-related violence. The Tidö parties work extensively to counter mental ill-health and with suicide prevention. We are pleased that we have a good cooperation in these issues. But how does the Minister intend to strengthen the work to improve the mental health among honor-vulnerable boys?
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! The interpellor says that the government must act faster. I completely share the view that we are in arrears to the vulnerable group when it comes to honor-related violence and oppression. For far too many years, we have generally turned a blind eye to this issue in Sweden. We have not really wanted to tackle it. We have had an apprehension, and those who are subjected to this violence and oppression have paid the price for that apprehension. That apprehension is over, because now it is time to act to protect this group. I am very pleased that within the Tidö agreement we are in complete agreement on these issues - it is time to step up the work.
Within the government, we are working with full force. I wish we could have acted even faster, but we are moving forward at full speed in several different areas.
The interpellor raised the issue of forced marriages. The Government has, for example, tasked the Gender Equality Authority with mapping the occurrence of forced marriages, child marriages, and polygamy in Sweden. The mapping shall also include other related issues, for example, the occurrence of arranged marriages, so-called bride price, that is, financial transactions in connection with marriage, concubinage, and temporary religious marriages for sex-buying. The Gender Equality Authority shall also investigate to what extent problems occur that individuals may face due to difficulties in obtaining so-called religious divorces.
It is a high priority to work with these issues. In order to be able to find the right measures, we first need to map out the problems and find out which evidence-based measures can actually make a difference when we work with this.
We also need to talk about the upbringing trips, which are highlighted here in the debate. Right now, a proposal regarding an extended travel ban within the Government Offices is being prepared. It is important that we move forward, look closely at these issues, and see how we can work with them. The Government intends to return with it shortly.
In this area, I recently received a report from Jämställdhetsmyndigheten which looks precisely at how children are taken away, including through foster care trips. Jämställdhetsmyndigheten proposes a number of measures, and the proposals are being processed within the Government Offices. We are looking at how we can proceed with these issues.
It is important that we find the right measures. This is a problem that has gone far too far and is far too widespread in Sweden. We should have acted much earlier than we are doing. But here and now, it is a matter of us finding the measures that actually work and not wasting more time on poster politics or ineffective measures. We need to quickly find the measures that can actually make a difference for this target group. It is over that they should pay the price for the lack of initiative we have experienced until now.
Sara Gille (SD)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. As the Minister has understood, I care very much about those who are persecuted, but also for those who are subjected to other forms of oppression and violence.
It pleases me that we seem to be in agreement on very much. As I said in a previous speech, I look forward very much to what the investigations will conclude.
The honor violence and oppression have escalated as a result of previous governments' irresponsible migration policy. But it is also a problem that we see among those who immigrated in the 80s.
My own relatives came here in the 80s. Generation after generation practices the same upbringing that they themselves received. For them, circumcision, cousin marriage and so on is something that is self-evident.
Dealing with that is very difficult. We therefore do not only need to make those who have moved into the country in recent years understand, but also those who have lived here for even longer than that.
Madam Speaker! There is a clear connection between immigration from certain countries and honor oppression. We cannot deny that. The culture of honor is embraced by people in a part of the world who have now settled increasingly here in the country. It is a culture clash that we need to get in order. We cannot let it continue.
Gang crime is increasing as a result of this. Both tougher measures against perpetrators and better help for those who are actually subjected to it are needed. This applies, of course, to the boys as well and not only to the girls.
I absolutely believe that the current government, together with the Sweden Democrats, has a greater will and a greater ambition to invest and do things in this area than previous governments have had. But we need to work faster. We must not forget those who are victims in the name of honor, and that also applies to the boys.
With that said, I would like to thank the Minister for the debate.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! There are certain things that we have fought for in Sweden, such as the right to love whoever one wants, regardless of whether it is someone of the opposite sex whom one chooses to marry, live with, or have intimate relations with, or if it is someone of the same sex whom one wants to live with or have intimate relations with.
We have fought for every person in Sweden to be able to control their own body, their own sexuality, and their own life. The gains we have made in those areas are not negotiable. We shall never back down from the gains we have made. On the contrary, we shall continue to work forward.
In the policy that I and the government, together with the Sweden Democrats, pursue, we must be crystal clear. There is no room for compromise for this type of values. It will characterize everything we do and all the measures we take. If we do not guard and continue to work forward, we cannot take those rights for granted in our country.
It is rights that everyone in our country should have, not just on paper but also in reality. That is not how it looks in our country. We have much work left to do to make equality and equity a reality for everyone.
I would like to thank the interpellator and Mona Olin for participating in the debate. I hope that we will have the opportunity to discuss these issues further in the future.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.