Image: Ive van Krunkelsven
Image: Ive van Krunkelsven
Post-doc project Sweden has repeatedly received international critique due to the lack of research on violence against Sámi women. There is thereby an urgent need for increased knowledge of this issue in Sweden.
This project therefore examines exposure to violence among Sámi women compared to the Swedish population, as well as experiences and knowledges of violence against Sami women within society's support system for victims of violence.
Survey studies in Norway show a higher exposure to violence among Sami women compared to the rest of the population. Previous research in Norway has also highlighted challenges and shortcomings in society's support system to reach and support abused Sámi women. At the same time, there is a lack of research on violence against Sámi women in a Swedish context. Against this background, the purpose of this project is to examine exposure to violence among Sámi women in Sweden based on a Sámi public health survey, and to explore experiences and knowledges of violence against Sámi women within society's support system through interviews.
Longer description of the project
As research of violence against Sámi women is almost completely lacking in a Swedish context, there is an urgent need for increased knowledge on this matter. Previous research in Norway points to a higher exposure to violence among Sámi women compared to the rest of the population and highlights several aspects that can make it more difficult to both reach and support abused Sámi women.
Against this background, the aim of this project is twofold:
1) First, to investigate exposure to different forms of violence among different groups of Sami women. This part of the project is based on questions about violence, discrimination and racism in the Sami public health survey (SámiHET) conducted in 2021, focusing on the Sámi population in Sweden.
2) Secondly, to investigate experiences and knowledges regarding violence against Sami women within society's support system and identify central challenges. This part of the project is based on individual and group-based interviews with representatives from public authorities and non-profit organizations within society's support system with representatives that have experience of the issue of violence against Sami women through their work.
The results that this project generates are expected to contribute with increased knowledge about exposure to violence among Sámi women in Sweden. The aim is also to formulate concrete proposals to improve the societal support and prevention of violence against Sámi women.
