Abstract 

The Scandinavian countries are usually looked to as forerunners in terms of gender equality. As well as forming a large part of our common identity, this focus ranks high when highlighting what makes us proud. In Norway, equality has featured prominently on the political agenda since the 1970s across the political spectrum, and in 2014, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs became a national agency for equality, working with gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity and religion. Few countries actually have a similar national structure dedicated to working with equality, as the responsibility often lies in the ministry. Sweden itself only established a directorate for gender equality in 2018. To have a national agency in charge means that a structure is working to implement policy on a national level, however without the additional role as a secretariat for the political leadership in the ministry. A core foundation for a national agency or directorate is to work with long term vision, to work both nationally but also at the regional and local levels, and maybe most importantly be knowledge- and research-based in its actions, not political. In his contribution, Bjørn Lescher-Nuland will talk about the Norwegian experience at large dealing with this work, and in particular in the field of gender equality. He will touch upon how to work with academia and research, and the production of equality data, issues of legitimacy in shifting political climates in a field that is often considered very political, the experience of building alliances across different grounds of discrimination, challenges when having a broad approach to equality and the importance of how to engage men.  

Biography

Bjørn Lescher-Nuland will assume his new role as Strategy Director in the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) on 1stSeptember. Bufdir is the national agency in charge of issues of equality and domestic violence, as well as child welfare and family support services. He has been part of Bufdir since 2011, when Bufdir became the national agency for equality and anti-discrimination, covering all grounds of discrimination. Initially part of the Norwegian LGBTI Knowledge Centre in Bufdir,  he then assumed the responsibility of leading the work with equality and social inclusion in Bufdir since 2014 as head of the section for equality and inclusion. Bjørn Lescher-Nuland has also been involved in internationally-oriented assignments and endeavours. He has been a Norwegian delegate to the Commission of the status of women at the UN and to the 
Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), has been the Norwegian representative to the Gender Equality Commission in the Council for Europe and represented the Norwegian government in the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network. 

He holds a BA in Economics, International Relations, and European Studies (University of Oslo) and MA in International Relations (San Francisco State University). Having previously worked as researcher at Fafo, an independent Norwegian social science research foundation, he also has extensive experience working with projects dealing with issues related to equality, social inclusion, living conditions of vulnerable groups, poverty, housing policy, HIV/aids, LGBTI, and more. 

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The Gendering in Research Network provides a platform for gender researchers and students at Aarhus University to discuss, collaborate, and exchange ideas. For further information about the Gendering in Research Network, please contact: Lea Skewes, IMC Theresa Ammann, IMC

The Gendering in Research Network provides a platform for gender researchers and students at Aarhus University to discuss, collaborate, and exchange ideas. For further information about the Gendering in Research Network, please contact: