Sweden in the UN: Gender equality
Published
The UN is an important arena for the gender-equal foreign policy that Sweden stands for. Gender equality is a matter of freedom and a core value for Sweden. We work with like-minded actors in the UN system to defend established norms and agreements.
At a time when many countries’ support for global gender equality is in decline, Sweden has a particularly important role to play. We do this as a country that has come a long way in its efforts to improve women’s and girls’ living conditions, and as a major development assistance actor.
Within the UN, we also highlight the importance of women’s economic empowerment. This is about promoting women’s opportunities to work and earn a living and about rights and opportunities for ownership. The Presidency of the UN Women Executive Board, the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, is held by Sweden in 2025. We also take part in the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights is a clearly established priority for Sweden.
Sweden is working to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Resolution 1325 is about bringing attention to how women are affected by armed conflict, strengthening protection for women in this context and increasing women’s participation and influence in conflict prevention, crisis management and peacebuilding efforts.
Within the UN, Sweden is also an active proponent of LGBTIQ people’s full enjoyment of their human rights. The Government is pushing for the implementation of the UN Secretariat’s LGBTIQ+ strategy and works strategically with like-minded nations and civil society to promote everyone’s equal value, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to include these perspectives in various UN processes.
