Gender equality

Read about the initiatives contained in the Budget Bill for 2021 relating to the areas of responsibility of the Minister for Gender Equality, with responsibility for anti-discrimination and anti-segregation. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

In the Budget Bill for 2021, the Government proposes that the county administrative boards’ regional work to combat men’s violence against women, honour-based violence and oppression, prostitution, and trafficking in human beings continue on a permanent basis. The Government also proposes reinforcements to the municipalities for measures to prevent IPV reoffending. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Some 70 participants from civil society organisations, the social partners and government agencies took part in a digital meeting on 26 August hosted by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Minister for Gender Equality Åsa Lindhagen. Discussions covered the international coalition to work for financial gender equality, of which Sweden is one of the leaders, and international gender equality work in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the spread of the COVID-19 disease have resulted in a global crisis affecting human life and health. At the same time, the socio-economic consequences and financial impacts on many families are contributing to increased stress and anxiety. Crisis and disaster research shows that the crisis is affecting the population unequally. Those with the least resources and in the most disadvantaged circumstances are generally those who suffer the greatest strain.

The Government’s development programme for gender mainstreaming in government agencies (GMGA) aims to strengthen these agencies’ gender mainstreaming to ensure that their activities contribute even more effectively to the achievement of the national gender equality policy objectives.

The Government decided on 12 March to task the Folke Bernadotte Academy with initiating the preparatory work to establish a scholarship aimed at supporting UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in 2021. The scholarship will be established in memory of Zaida Catalán, who had served abroad for the Folke Bernadotte Academy as a gender expert.

All government policy must redistribute power and resources for a more gender-equal society. The goal is to ensure that women and men have the same power to shape society and their own lives.

The Government has decided to appoint a commission for gender-equal lifetime earnings. The commission has been instructed to present proposals that aim to increase economic equality between women and men in Sweden in the long term.

In connection with International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is conducting a worldwide campaign for the third year in a row to make the internet more equal. In parallel, edit-a-thons aimed at increasing the number of women on Wikipedia will be held in almost 30 countries. In Sweden, a WikiGap edit-a-thon will be held at the University of Gothenburg.

In a proposal referred to the Council on Legislation for consideration, the Government proposes that a new child marriage offence be introduced that can result in imprisonment for up to four years. The Government also proposes new grounds for tougher penalties for ‘honour’ crimes and a new instrument, a travel ban, to further strengthen protection against honour-related crime.