New project aims to increase knowledge about honor based violence and gender equality in higher education

Marie Karlsson Tuula, professor of civil law who was also appointed ambassador against honor violence by the national organization Never Forget Pela and Fadime (GAPF) in January this year, is the initiator behind the project. Together with colleagues Carolina Jernbro, public health science, Helén Olsson, social work, and Nina Thelander at the teacher education, she has made a review that shows that there are few elements of honor violence in the education at Karlstad University today.

- We need to bring in significantly more elements in the education for socially important functions such as teachers, doctors, lawyers, police officers, nurses, and sociologists, says Marie Karlsson Tuula. These are professional groups that often face children and adults with honor-related violence problems in their professional lives and it is incredibly important that students become aware of the consequences of violence so that they can deal with them when they enter their professional activities.

Legislation only in 2018

Helén Olsson, a senior lecturer in social work and one of the project participants, has together with Ann Bergman, professor of work science, written a report based on a government assignment from the Dalarna County Administrative Board. It shows that there is a great lack of knowledge within most government agencies that must handle and be responsible for these issues.

- This is partly due to the lack of teaching in the area of ​​violence in close relationships, which also includes honor violence, says Helén Olsson. Higher education has taken time to implement knowledge about family-based violence and the area did not become compulsory in education until it was legislated in July 2018. This means that professionals do not have the required knowledge. Today, we have limited elements of honor violence in higher education, which is why it is lacking in most of our professional educations. The work with violence in close relationships is one of the largest social policy reforms implemented in Sweden. Among other things, 20 new changes to the law have been introduced in the last 15 years and more will come soon. Research unequivocally indicates that those who are exposed to violence in close relationships suffer from a great deal of suffering that contributes to serious health consequences. Now is the time for us in higher education to take responsibility!

- The area must be raised so that prospective professionals understand the extent of violence in close relationships and what health consequences the violence entails, says Helén Olsson. How should the problem be made visible and noticed within each authority? What questions should professionals ask and how do you work with a person exposed to violence or a perpetrator? What applies when working with abused children? How do you work with risk assessment, support, and protection? It is also important that professionals become aware of the laws and regulations that govern their activities, as well as what research is available in the field.

Part of the project is to write an interdisciplinary anthology that will also contain advice and tips on how to increase knowledge about honor killings.

Read the antology "Vad har högre lärosäten med hedersrelaterat våld och förtyck att göra"?