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Gender Equality Policy in Sweden

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Gender Equality Policy in Sweden Gender equality policy in Sweden A feminist Government Content A feminist Government................................................................................. 3 The Swedish gender equality policy ........................................................ 4 Gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting ............ 5 The implementation of gender mainstreaming in Government agencies (GMGA) ............................................................................................ 6 The Swedish Gender Equality Agency .................................................... 7 Three important welfare reforms to promote gender equality in Sweden .............................................................................................................. 8 Gender equal division of power and influence ................................. 10 Economic gender equality......................................................................... 12 Gender equal education ........................................................................... 13 Gender equal health and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) ................................................................................................. 14 Preventing and combating men’s violence against women ......... 15 Prostitution and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation ..................................................................................... 16 Sexual offence legislation based on consent..................................... 17 Involving men and boys in gender equality and promoting healthier gender norms ............................................................................ 18 Production: Ministry of Employment Photos: Page 1, 8, 10, 13, 14, 19: Folio. Page 3: Kristian Pohl, Page 6: Ninni Andersson. Graphs (Source): Page 9: Statistics Sweden. Page 11: The Swedish Parliament and The 2019 budget bill. Page 18: Swedish Social Insurance Agency. 2 A feminist Government Sweden has a feminist The Government is committed to pointed its first Ambassador for Government. In practice, this achieving this objective through a Gender Equality, a function that means a commitment to building policy agenda that reduces inequa- also leads the coordination of the a society in which women and lity and stereotypical gender roles feminist foreign policy. Gender men, girls and boys can live their and structures. equality is not only a goal in itself lives to their full potential. This is but also a prerequisite for sustai- a human right and a matter of de- Gender equality is central to all nable development, and an essen- mocracy and justice. Gender equ- decision-making and resource al- tial part of the solution to many ality is also part of the solution to location. Translated into feminist of the challenges we face in our society’s challenges and a mat- foreign policy, this means focu- time, nationally as well as globally. ter of course in a modern welfa- sing on strengthening women’s re state - for justice and economic and girls’ rights, representation This material provides an over- development. and resources. In order to do so, view of main areas of the measures must be based on reali- Government policy on gender Gender equality has been reco- ty and knowledge, and able to de- equality. It describes current poli- gnised as a separate policy area in liver results that make a differen- tical goals and strategies and gives Sweden since the early 70s, and ce. We need analyses that apply a a brief historical background to the progress made towards gender rights and gender equality per- important reforms. It also identi- equality started even before that. spective and shed light on the glo- fies further remaining challeng- Since then Sweden has shown bal inequality between girls and es and explains how the feminist clear results in terms of high le- boys, and women and men. Using Government is addressing these vels of employment and growth. data disaggregated by sex and age and what measures are taken in These developments did not hap- is essential. In 2015, Sweden ap- order to initiate change. pen by themselves. They have come about as a result of political dialogue, together with hard work from a strong civil society and the women’s movement. Despite a number of important achieve- ments made towards gender equ- ality, challenges remain and there is still work to do for the feminist Government. A feminist Government ensures that a gender equality perspecti- ve is brought into policy-making on a broad front, both national- ly and internationally. The overall objective of the Swedish gender equality policy is that women and Märta Stenevi, Minister Ann Linde, Minister for men shall have the same power to for Gender Equality Foreign Affairs shape society and their own lives. 3 The Swedish gender equality policy The overall objective guiding the Swedish gender equality po- licy clarifies that women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives. With this as its starting point, the Government is working towards six sub-goals. 1. Equal distribution of 3. Gender equality in 5. Gender equality in health, power and influence education care and social services Women and men must have the Women and men, girls and boys Women and men, girls and boys same rights and opportunities to must have the same opportuni- must have the same conditions be active citizens and to shape the ties and conditions with regard to for a good health and be offered conditions for decision-making in education, study options and per- care and social services on equal all sectors of society. sonal development. terms. 2. Economic gender 4. An equal distribution of 6. Men’s violence against wo- equality unpaid housework and men must stop provision of care work Women and men must have the Women and men must have the Women and men, girls and boys same opportunities and condi- same responsibility for unpaid must have the same rights and op- tions for paid work that provide housework and have the oppor- portunities to physical integrity. economic independence throug- tunity to give and receive care on hout life. equal terms. 4 Gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting Gender mainstreaming has been the Swedish Govern- ment’s overarching strategy for the implementation of the gender equality policy since 1994. It is an important strategy for reaching the gender equality objectives. Gender mainstreaming is a stra- tive implementation of the Go- The budget process and the Bud- tegy used to implement the Go- vernment gender equality policy get Bill are of key importance in vernment’s gender equality objec- all ministers are responsible for realizing the Government’s policy tives. This approach is combined mainstreaming a gender perspec- agenda and it is therefore impor- with measures designed to speci- tive in decisions and actions taken tant that budget work is based on fically target gender inequalities in his or her policy area. The Mi- a gender impact assessment which in different policy areas (such as nister for Gender Equality is re- can inform the direction and dist- extra funding, extra focus, action sponsible for the overall coordina- ribution of resources. The inten- plans, etc.). This dual approach is tion, development and follow-up tion is to ensure that policies with necessary for moving forward on of gender mainstreaming yet the a gender-neutral design or out- gender equality. everyday practical implementation come are identified and averted is managed at the level of Heads from the outset, while at the same As part of the gender mainstrea- of Division in all ministries. time promoting gender responsi- ming efforts, Sweden also runs ve policies. a programme for Gender main- All gender mainstreaming actions streaming in Government agen- are guided by the objectives set The Government has taken a cies (GMGA) – to ensure that the out in the policy on gender equ- number of steps to strengthen the activities and services provided by ality as well as of policy specific sustainability and effectiveness participating Government agen- goals that have been formulated of the gender-responsive budget cies contribute to achieving the based on the gender needs assess- work. For instance the Ministry of Government’s gender equality ob- ment of each Ministry. Finance has introduced a forma- jectives. In addition, the Govern- lised requirement in the budget ment’s gender equality vision is Gender-responsive budgeting a circular which demands that all implemented through gender-re- strategic tool for realising policy ministries include a gender-equa- sponsive budgeting. objectives lity impact assessments as part of The Swedish Government has their proposals they put forward The Swedish Government Offi- incorporated gender-responsive to the Ministry of Finance. The ces define gender mainstreaming budgeting as a means to incorpo- Government has also reinforced as the incorporation of a gender rate a gender perspective at all le- support and capacity building me- equality perspective in all policy vels of the budgetary process and asures in order to improve practi- areas, at all levels and at all sta- restructuring revenues and expen- ces on conducting gender-equality ges, by the stake-holders normal- ditures in order to reach the reali- impact assessments. ly involved in the policy-making sation of the Government gender process. equality objectives. The approach is based on the understanding Responsibility for the entire that there are no gender-neutral Government
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