Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD - The Andrew Tate Effect: Is Cyber Violence Trending?

Videos by influencer Andrew Tate have nearly 14 billion views on TikTok He is often referred to as "the world's most dangerous man" due to his misogynistic rhetoric and attitudes. Nordic research shows that at least 850 Nordic young men are active in misogynic internet communities, and that views on women in these 'manospheric' communities are spreading to mainstream social platforms. Join in as Thordis and Stine will walk you through the dark corridors of online gender-based violence and its dangers - both for women as victims of this violence, but also for young men that are being targeted with this kind of content.

The Nordic Council of Ministers has a vision for the Nordic region to be the best place in the world for youth and has for several years worked to prevent online violence and with men and masculinities as a focus area. The integration of gender equality, and a children’s rights and youth perspective are a prerequisite for bringing to fruition the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision of the Nordic Region as the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by 2030.

Thordis Elva is a writer, speaker and activist who was nominated Woman of the Year 2015 in her native Iceland, due to her advocacy for gender-equality. In 2020, she founded the Nordic Digital Rights and Equality Foundation (NORDREF), with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers along with other experts in the field, with the aim of strengthening democracy and equality in the Nordic region and beyond by furthering digital rights and countering online abuse. Violence prevention has long been at the core of Thordis Elva’s work, and she has shared her own story of sexual assault in a book and TED talk that has been viewed over 9 million times.

Stine Helding Rand is a psychologist specializing in identity formation. She is particularly concerned with the play with identities in digital forums, the importance of anonymity, and what happens when behavior goes from natural boundary-seeking to inappropriate or extreme. In her work at the Centre for Digital Youth Care as a consultant within gaming and gender-based challenges, Stine has a special focus on boys and young men. A target group that has the same need for support and guidance as everyone else, but which often is difficult to reach. Stine is co-author of the report “The Angry Internet - A threat to gender equality, democracy & well-being” from the Centre for Digital Youth Care and financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report assesses the extent of online misogyny and antifeminism in the Nordic countries.

Ungdommens Folkemøde NORD is a Nordic democracy festival taking place at URBAN 13 in Nørrebro 21-22 April where Nordic youth through workshops, creative expressions, and dialogue share experiences and inspiration across the region. For two days, we will together with decision makers, organizations, and activists, take on some of the democratic challenges of the Nordic region. The festival aims to strengthen the democratic self-confidence of Nordic youth and to kickstart the social and cultural community of the Nordic region.