“How can we ensure that they get support?”: A qualitative study of professionals' experiences of cooperation and support for girls and young women exposed to honour-related oppression

In Sweden, honour-related oppression has received more attention in recent years at the political and academic level but also in social work. Honour-related problems are largely in conflict with the rights and freedoms of children and women, and attempts have been made to alleviate the issue. The purpose of this master thesis is to examine the professionals’ experiences of the challenges of cooperation, support and personal treatment of girls and young women who are exposed to honour-related oppression. The professionals mainly represent the social services and other actors who work with honour-related problems, such ashealth care personnel. Based on a qualitative approach using focus group and individual interviews, the results illustrate the importance of cooperation and knowledge when working with girls and young women who are exposed to honour-related oppression. The study illustrates challenges for cooperation, such as professional confidentiality, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional’s work with the matter. Honour-related oppression can be described as a challenging problem that still needs further recognition in society. The study can contribute to the work of social services and other actors by presenting challenges and opportunities for the work with honour-related oppressio