Uniforms, Whales, + 7 Other times Norway took an International Stand
Norway’s Women’s Hand Ball team made history at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by taking a stand against their overly-sexualized, skimpy uniforms, choosing instead to wear shorts (in a very similar style to the men’s team).
Their refusal sparked controversy and roars of agreement from around the world, resulting in them being fined by the Olympic Games Commission.
While a protest of this sort is long overdue, many are surprised that stalwart and neutral Norway is leading the charge, which led me to wonder what else has Norway taken a significant stand for, or against, in their history?
1) A Stand for Independence — Sort Of
Norway was conquered by Denmark in 1028. After that, things seemed to be fairly peaceable until 1814, when Denmark decided to give Norway to Sweden.
The Norwegians were not very pleased with this hand off, and a war broke out— but was resolved in 14-days. The solution— Sweden’s King could rule them, but Norway kept their constitution.
In 1905, they achieved independence from Sweden and Prince Carl of Denmark became King.
2) A Stand against Hitler— Kind of
Norway remained neutral in both World Wars, but Hitler decided to invade during WWII anyway. Norway boldly resisted for 2 months, after which the Royal Family fled to England, setting up a government-in -exile. The people continued to rebel in smaller ways, but Norway remained under German rule until the conclusion of the war.
3) A Stand Against Joining the EU
In both 1975 and 1994, Norway voted against joining the European Union. The margin in the 1994 vote was small, only 5%. They are still a part of NATO and the EEA (European Economic Area), but remain an independent state. This stands in contrast to Denmark and Sweden, other well-known neutral powers who did decide to join. Switzerland, however, also remains its own country, adopting helpful methods to ease trade with the EU while staying out of the union. One would think joining the EU would make their positions of neutrality difficult to maintain.
4) A Stand for the Whaling Industry
A centuries old industry, whaling is an important part of Norway’s culture and economy. In 1986, an international moratorium on whaling was instituted, one that Norway strongly opposed. In 1993, to the chagrin of many environmentalists, they began whaling again, ignoring the previous ordinance.
Environmental issues aside, it seems Norway is taking a stand for its culture and way of life, and right to govern itself as it pleases.
5) A Stand for Peace in the Middle East
Norway famously took a stand for peace, successfully negotiating between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, leading to the acceptance and ratification of the Oslo Accords.
6) A Stand Against Racism
After a black teen was murdered by 3 Neo-Nazi youth, the nation erupted into protests for justice, with tens of thousands gathering publicly in Oslo. The teens were tried, convicted, and jailed for their crimes.
7) A Stand for Human Rights and Freedom of Speech
Norway drew the wrath of China after persisting in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, a writer and human rights activist who was then imprisoned in China. His work sought to bring political reforms to his nation and to abolish the rule of the Communist Party. China stated that this would certainly sour their relations with Norway, a threat to which Norway seemed to pay little attention.
8) A Stand for Justice
In the worst massacre in Norwegian history, a right-wing extremest planted bombs and opened fire on civilians, leaving 70+ people dead and shaking the country to its core. In his* trial, his defense argued insanity. The courts overturned this claim, sentencing him to 21-years in prison.
9) A Stand for Equality
In July of 2021, the Norwegian Women’s Hand Ball team made great strides towards equality, using their nation’s measured response to world events to draw attention to the inequities in men’s and women’s sports.
Though it may seem trivial to some, work to equalize men and women, to validate their strengths and skills, and to stop the objectification and over-sexualization of women is one way that the world can continue to be made a better, fairer, more equitable place.
To the Norwegian Hand Ball team— thank you. To Norway— thank you for the lesson that speaking less often, and only when it matters most, leads to a voice that reverberates across generations.
*I have chosen not to include the name of the criminal in this account, in solidarity with the victims — may their names be forever remembered, while his fades from history.
