Steps toward gender equality may put women at an increased risk of domestic violence and sexual assault, according to a growing body of research. Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, for instance, boast the smallest gender gaps in the world, in terms of educational, economic, and political power—and yet these countries endure some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in Europe. It’s called the Nordic Paradox, and it leaves scholars scratching their heads.
“The Nordic paradox is a research question that, at the moment, remains unanswered,” Enrique Gracia, a social psychologist at the University of Valencia who studies the Nordic Paradox, told Fatherly. “There are potential theories that may help to understand this phenomenon, but no evidence based on rigorous research is available.”
One possible explanation for this may be that wealthy women who are used to equality are more likely to report assault and abuse. Yet studies suggest that, if anything, fewer women in Nordic countries report abuse to the authorities. Another theory that could explain this is the backlash effect, particularly among men who have a more rigid sense of what it means to be a man and woman. It’s possible that some men are reacting to women’s advancing status with violence. “As scientists, we prefer not to speculate. We are pursuing different lines of research at the moment to better understand the Nordic paradox,” Gracia clarifies.
“But so far we do not have the data to support any potential explanations. This is what are setting to do in the near future.”
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