The perhaps puzzling co-existence of highly rated country-level gender equality and survey reported experiences of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden and neighboring Nordic countries has been referred to as a Nordic paradox. Hypothetical partial explanations for this apparent paradox have pointed to backlash effects, i.e., resistance from individuals in positions of relative privilege to changes resulting in their loss of power, and to the complex or multidimensional nature of gender in/equality. Based on qualitative in-depth interviews with 23 women exposed to IPVAW in Sweden, analyzed thematically, this presentation will discuss the participant’s narrated experiences of gender in/equality and of backlash dynamics in their violent intimate relationships.