This thesis explores the response of Nordic countries to the CEDAW Convention considering the recent influx of migrants into northern Europe from a range of cultural backgrounds. The author attempts to demonstrate that, although all five Nordic countries uphold gender equality in their Constitutions and domestic laws, the CEDAW Committee has held these countries to account in practice, especially with respect to marginalized groups of women. Drawing on theory from Nordic theorists, the author explores both the CEDAW Convention and the practicality and theoretical function of Nordic egalitarianism. The case study displays a broad, comparative examination of Nordic constitutions and laws, followed by a synthesis which examines the rise of the extreme right in northern Europe and the impact on marginalized women. In the case of the rise of diverse populations, the author demonstrates that Nordic states consider ‘sameness’ to be a foundation of equality in the welfare state system, an approach that is problematic for those women who are different from the expected norm.