Sexual harassment at work is a complex issue that touches on many different areas of knowledge and research. Nevertheless, international research reviews show that there is very little research on prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace, and that research within and between Nordic countries is almost completely lacking.
Working life in the Nordic countries has many similarities in terms of overall structures and regulations and in terms of common practices and routines. Yet we know relatively little about the significance of these structures for understanding or preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
In response, the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated a Nordic research initiative with two calls for applications, in collaboration with several sectors of Nordic co-operation. The research initiative ran from 2021 to 2023 and NIKK has now published a report summarising the initiative.
The report highlights the results of the five granted projects and discusses the premises for developing knowledge about sexual harassment in working life as well as ways forward. It is aimed at working life actors, policy makers, civil servants and anyone else who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. The report provides insights into the challenges faced in preventing sexual harassment in different sectors as well as possible solutions.
Knowledge development in partnership and continued research
Cooperation with workplaces and labour market actors was a requirement for funding. The call for applications took place in two rounds. In the first call projects added a Nordic dimension to existing research, while in the second call new projects were carried out in cross-Nordic co-operation.
The projects have developed new tools and methods to prevent sexual harassment. Examples include a Nordic survey tool for comparisons between workplaces in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, a toolkit to raise awareness and create dialogue about sexist harassment in health and social care workplaces, and the development of an intervention tool to activate bystanders/colleagues witnessing sexual harassment.
The research initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Nordic sectors for gender equality, culture and working life and the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People. Nordic cooperation and close collaboration with industries within the Nordic labour market has facilitated dissemination efforts and resulted in new collaborations. Several projects also continue the initiated research in new projects.
NIKK is a cooperation body under the Nordic Council of Ministers, placed at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, University of Gothenburg.
