feminism (SWEDEN)

Context of emergence (Sweden) — first wave

1919: Women’s Suffrage

Women’s Citizens’ College of Fogelstad — space for women to explore freedoms

Context of emergence (Sweden) — second wave

Focus: workplace equality, reproductive rights, VAW

1974: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention addresses violence & discrimination

1979:

• Discrimination Act

• Gender Equality Act — 1st comprehensive GE policy

Context of emergence (Sweden) — 1990s, Third Wave

Focus: institutionalizing gender equality

• 1991: Gender Equality Act

  • org > legal

• 1994: Gender Equality Policy

• 1998: Gender Equality Ombudsman

Context of emergence (Sweden) — 2000s, Third Wave

• 2002 Parental Leave Reform

  • 6 months paid leave, 2 months per parent

• 2006 National Strategy to Prevent & Combat Men’s Violence Against Women

• 2009 Equal Pay for Equal Work

Context of emergence (Sweden) — 2000s, Fourth Wave

Intersectionality, digital activism

Who championed Sweden’s feminist foreign policy?

Margot Wallström (former Minister for Foreign Affairs)

What are the 6 external objectives of the 2019-2022 Foreign Service Action Plan?

• Full enjoyment of human rights

  • Political participation and influence in all areas of society

  • Economic rights and empowerment

  • Sexual and reproductive health, rights

• Freedom from physical, psychological, sexual violence

• Participation in preventing and resolving conflicts, post-conflict peace-building

What are the 3 R’s of FFP+?

Rights

Resources

Representation

All based on reality

What are the three main areas of Sweden’s feminist engagement abroad?

• Foreign and security policy

• International development cooperation

• Trade and promotion policy

What has Sweden done in terms of peace and security?

UNSC Resolution 1325

• Incorporate participation of women, gender perspectives in all UN peace & security efforts

Swedish Women’s Mediation Network Initiatives

• To address underrepresentation of women in mediation, peace processes

3 ambassadors

• Human Rights, Democracy, Rule of Law

• Gender Equality

• Combatting Trafficking in Persons

Inclusion of women in crafting treaties, conventions on arms exports

What has Sweden done in terms of internatioanl development cooperation?

2016: Policy Framework for Swedish Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

2016-2018 Gender Mainstreaming Plan

2021-2023 Gender Equality Action Plan

2018 Sweden FFP Handbook

Global Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Rights

What has Sweden done in terms of trade and promotion policy?

2016 Global Deal Initiative

• Social dialogue

• Better labor market conditions

2017 Trade and Gender Toolbox

Who/what are important actors in Sweden’s FFP?

• Margot Wallstrom

• Tobias BIllstrom

• Swedish Gender Equality Agency

What did Tobias Billstrom do?

Revoke Sweden’s FFP because it obscured the fact that Sweden’s foreign policy should be based on securing Swedish interests

What pushed Sweden to backtrack on its FFP?

NATO membership, invasion of Ukraine

What is the Temporary Act for?

Enacted to reduce the number of asylum-seekers

What are the challenges of Sweden’s feminist policy?

• Temporary Act

• The ‘other’

• First one in, first one out (in terms of FFP)

• Small percentage of women in the defense sector

How did the Temporary Act come about?

Reaction to large # of asylum-seekers arriving in Sweden in 2015

What kind of asylum seeking is involved in Sweden’s Temporary Act problem?

Subsidiary protection

• You can seek asylum if you have well-grounded reason for being persecuted in your place of origin

Explain whole Temporary Act problem

• Men seek asylum first (because they go through illegal means)

• Women and kids come later

• Stricter supporting requirements, which disproportionately affect more women than men because the former have a lower employment rate

Explain ‘the other’ problem

Like Canada, Sweden exports its arms to regimes of authoritarian/violent regimes