On January 1, 2006, the Norwegian Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud was set up as a result of the new Anti-discrimination
Act. The ombud was launched after a prolonged political process that started back in 2000 with a view to increasing the focus
on anti-discrimination and the rights of Norwegian citizens. Except for Iceland, all Nordic countries have either initiated
or implemented similar revisions of their equality of treatment legislation in order to afford better protection against discrimination
and streamline complaint casework.
This tendency is inspired by the EU which has worked systematically to develop anti-discrimination legislation and heighten
discrimination awareness since 1999. At EU level, it was acknowledged that implementation and enforcement on an individual
basis do not suffice to tackle the multifaceted patterns of inequality experienced by certain groups. Consequently, the term
“multidimensional” discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race and ethnicity, disability, religion and belief and sexual
orientation emerged. Multidimensional discrimination describes how various forms of discrimination, e.g. based on gender and
ethnicity, work together to intensify and weaken each other. The political initiatives in the Nordic countries partly follow
EU legislation. Since the early 2000s, efforts have been made towards a combined anti-discrimination act (except in Denmark
and Iceland).
NIKK was commissioned by the Finnish chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers (2007) to draw up the report Multidimensional
Discrimination Policies in the Nordic Countries -an overview, charting status in the Nordic countries. The report contains
contributions by Rikke Randorff Hegnhøj (NIKK), Ingrid Rusnes (NO), Lovise Brade Johansen (DK/SE), Kevät Nousiainen (FI) and
Gudrun D. Gudmundsdottir (IS).
The report describes former and current anti-discrimination legislation in the individual countries and charts current proposals
within legislation and administration towards a new policy in the field. The report also points out tendencies in the arguments
for revisions and deals with responses from various organisations. Download the report here (pdf)
The pan-Nordic initiatives to combat multidimensional discrimination particularly originate in an increased need to protect
vulnerable and new groups such as ethnic minorities and victims of trafficking as well as a wish to highlight discrimination.
In addition, the proposals differ very much from each other when it comes to merging administration in the field. In a few
countries, the proposals imply a merger of the equality act and the anti-discrimination act.
Nordic anti-discrimination policy charted
The various discrimination grounds such as gender and ethnicity intensify and weaken each other. Thus, legislation covering only one ground may prove inadequate in the combat against discrimination. A report drawn up by NIKK lists current proposals for new legislation and administration in the Nordic countries.
