Combating negative social control and honour-based violence

IMDi targets our efforts towards early detection of such control and violence, while endeavouring to provide victims with the necessary aid and protection.

Providing services that are accessible, competent, and efficient is a main priority in the Norwegian governments Integration strategy. Part of this effort focuses on strengthening services targeting vulnerable children, youth and adults who experience negative social control and honour based violence within their families and networks. This is in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (The Istanbul Convention).

IMDi employs the following specialized services targeting victims of negative social control and honour based violence: diversity advisors and the National Team for building competency and the website Nora. IMDi is also a stakeholder in the Expert Team for the prevention of negative social control and honour based violence. In addition, IMDi work with competency-building of the special envoys for integration matters, who are in the employ of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IMDi’s diversity advisors are employed at schools around the country. They are especially trained in aiding victims of negative social control and honour based violence. The diversity advisors work on several levels, including individual cases and competency-building in support services targeting children, youth and adults.

Nora is a website for youth, where they can learn about their rights to make independent choices, and live free lives. The site features stories about young people who experience different forms of negative social control and honour based violence.

IMDi’s National Team for building competency specialize in long term competency-building in public services for children, youth and adults. The focus is to enable the services to prevent, detect and aid victims of violence and control. The team targets schools that don`t have diversity advisors, adult learning centres for immigrants, as well as refugee services and public services at large.

IMDi is a stakeholder in the Expert Team. This team of experts provides advice and guidance on matters relating to forced marriage or other forms of honour based violence, female genital mutilation and negative social control. The team has expertise in the fields of migration, child welfare, health, security (police), immigration law, as well as labour and welfare services (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration – NAV).

The special envoys for integration are in the employ of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and work to provide support and aid to Norwegian citizens and people with legal status in Norway who are victims of negative social control and honour based violence abroad. In addition, the special envoys provide support to services in Norway. IMDi is responsible for administering the competency-building work of the special envoys.