Equal but different? Examining gender, power and representation in Sami policies in Norway

The aim of this paper is to explore if and how gender and ethnicity intersect in Sami policies in order to examine the underlying problem representation of gender equality and power. We specifically focus on gendered dimensions of climate change, adaptive capacity and land use management in Sami communities. Inspired by Charlo Lee Bacchi’s “What’s the problem represented to be?” approach (2009), we conduct a policy analysis of how gender and gender equality is problematized within different Sami policies at international as well as national and regional level in Norway. We combine the document analysis with interviews with key actors at different governmental levels and representatives from NGOs to explore gaps and silences in policies and the public discourse. Initial findings indicate that there are differences in how gender equality is framed within different Sami policy fields, but also how it is understood and handled in different geographical contexts in Sapmi. Drawing on theories of equality and difference feminism, we examine the intersectionality of current policies and discuss the transformative capacities these policies enables in light of climate change.

Til publikasjon: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3509543 | Publiseringsår: 2020 | Tidsskrift: