Margunn Bjørnholt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Professor Margunn Bjørnholt
Margunn Bjørnholt in 2014
Born	9 October 1958 (1958-10-09) (age 66) Bø, Telemark, Norway
Awards	Article of the Year (2021) Rights Prize (2023)
Scientific career
Fields	Sociology, economics
Institutions	Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, University of Oslo, University of Bergen

Margunn Bjørnholt (born October 9, 1958) is a Norwegian sociologist and economist. A sociologist studies how people live and behave in groups, while an economist studies how people make, share, and use money and goods.

She is a research professor at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) and a professor at the University of Bergen. Her work has covered many topics, from banks and work life to gender equality and helping people who move to new countries. She has also been a leader for women's rights in Norway.

Education and Early Career

Margunn Bjørnholt was born in Bø, Telemark, Norway. She earned advanced university degrees in economics and sociology. For one of her first major projects, she studied microfinance and ethical banking, which focuses on fair and interest-free ways to handle money.

In the 1980s, she helped women start their own businesses. Later, in the 1990s, she became interested in the green economy, which is about creating a healthy economy that is also good for the environment. She even helped lead an effort to start an ethical bank in Norway.

A Career in Research

Since 1993, Bjørnholt has worked as a researcher at several major institutions, including the University of Oslo. In 2015, she became a research professor at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies. In 2021, she also became a professor of sociology at the University of Bergen.

She has worked with experts from around the world, including at universities in the United States and Sweden. She has also shared her knowledge with the European Commission as an expert on gender equality.

What Does She Research?

Professor Bjørnholt's research has changed over the years. At first, she studied banks, money, and how people's jobs are organized.

Later, she began to focus on men's changing roles in family and work. She also studied the experiences of Polish people who moved to Norway.

Since 2015, her main research has been about violence. She leads projects that study:

• Violence between couples and in families.
• Violence against refugees and people who have moved to a new country.
• How to protect women from violence.

She has written many articles and books about her findings. Her books include Vold i nære relasjoner (which means Violence in Close Relationships) and Men, Masculinities and Intimate Partner Violence.

Working for the Community

Besides her research, Margunn Bjørnholt has been active in public life. In the 1980s, she was a journalist for a feminist radio station called radiOrakel.

She has also held important leadership roles:

• President of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (2013–2016)
• President of the Norwegian Women's Lobby (2014–2016)

The Norwegian government chose her to be part of its team at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. In 2015, she was also a candidate for the Green Party in local elections.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Bjørnholt has received awards for her important work.

• In 2021, one of her articles was named Article of the Year by the Scandinavian University Press.
• In 2023, she received the Rights Prize for her work to help others.