Gender equality

This material provides an overview of Sweden’s work to combat men’s violence against women. Stopping men’s violence against women is a priority issue for the Swedish Government. In 2016, a ten-year national strategy to prevent and counter men’s violence against women was adopted. The strategy applies to the period 2017–2026 and particularly emphasises preventive measures.

The Government is stepping up its efforts to combat honour-related violence and oppression, and has therefore commissioned an ongoing inquiry to draft proposals for legislation to criminalise virginity testing, virginity certification and hymen reconstruction surgery.

The Government will soon begin work on a new action plan to counter and combat men’s violence against women. The action plan will contain concrete measures to ensure that effective steps to combat men's violence against women are taken.

In accordance with a decision of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), the Government has, since 1988, published a report on the distribution of economic resources between women and men as part of the Budget Bill.

The strategy will apply in 2022–2026 and provide a total of SEK 3 500 million. The strategy governs the use of funds under appropriation item 1:1.9 ‘Africa’ in the appropriation directions for Sida for each budget year.

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) is pleased to join governments and civil society around the world to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Ann Linde and Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, issued the following joint statement:

Since the early 2000s, Sweden’s Government has worked with gender budgeting. Gender budgeting means that prioritisations, choices of direction and resources in the budget should promote gender equality as far as possible. BUDGe is a Swedish budgeting tool that comprises gender equality, surveying, analysis and conclusions.

Some of the most important reforms for promoting gender equality in Sweden were imposed in the 1970s, such as the individual income taxation, the development and expansion of public childcare and the gender-neutral parental leave benefit.

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.

Sweden’s Government is a feminist government, and the work for equality between women and men is important to the Government. The Government’s budget must be designed so that it may contribute to gender equality. The Government Offices therefore continuously works with gender-responsive budgeting, which means that the gender equality effects of the budget policy are evaluated.

Check against delivery.

This strategy will form the basis of Sweden’s cooperation with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The strategy establishes the priorities and forms of collaboration for Sweden’s membership of, and partnership with, UN Women at global, regional and national level for 2018–2022.

According to a new report from the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, the space for women’s rights defenders is shrinking in many countries. On 5 June, Sweden’s Permanent Representation to the European Union showcased the report at a meeting with the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and other organisations working in the area.

The whole world helped to fill Wikipedia with articles on prominent women on International Women's Day. The WikiGap campaign has already been established in over fifty countries, and the hope is that it will be long-lasting.

The Government’s sixth gender equality policy sub-target is that ‘Men’s violence against women must end’. Women and men and girls and boys must have the same rights and opportunities to bodily integrity.

The Government’s fifth gender equality policy sub-target is ‘Gender-equal health’. Women and men and girls and boys must have the same opportunities and conditions for good health and be offered health and social care on equal terms. Gender-equal health is a target in itself, but good health for women and men and girls and boys also contributes to gender-equal and active participation in society.

The Government’s fourth gender equality policy sub-target is ‘An even distribution of unpaid housework and care work’. Women and men must have the same responsibility for housework and have the opportunity to give and receive care on equal terms.

The third gender equality policy sub-target is ‘Gender-equal education’. Women and men and girls and boys must have the same opportunities and conditions with regard to education and training, study choices and personal development.