Men and women in Sweden can work and care for their children on the same terms. Photo: Berno Hjälmrud/Linkimage

Gender equality is a cornerstone of Swedish society. It means that women and men have the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all areas of life. It implies that they can work and support themselves, combine work and care of their children on the same terms, and that neither sex in a relationship need worry about being subjected to abuse or violence.

In the Global Gender Gap Report 2008, Sweden was one of the world leaders in equality. The report, drawn up at the initiative of the World Economic Forum, measures equality in four areas: economics, politics, education and health. It can be read at www.weforum.org.

Parental leave

In Sweden, a parental allowance is paid out for a total of 480 days when a child is born or adopted. Women claim most of the days. In 2008, men claimed about 20 percent of parental leave.

Parental allowance is taxed like other income and counts toward pensions. For 390 of the 480 days, the amount is the same as for sickness benefit; 80 percent of benefits-based income, depending on how much you earn. The maximum parental allowance is SEK 874 (about USD 110) a day. For the remaining 90 days the allowance is SEK 180 a day in the case of children born on July 1, 2006, or later, otherwise the allowance is SEK 60.

Each parent has 60 days of leave reserved specifically for him or her, which means these days cannot be transferred to the other parent.

The father of a newborn baby gets 10 extra days’ leave in connection with the birth of their child. With the birth of twins, a father is entitled to 20 days’ leave. A parent adopting a child is entitled to take leave from work for 1.5 years from the time the child comes under his or her care.

The educational system

Gender teaching is increasingly common in Swedish preschools. The aim is to give children the same opportunities in life, regardless of their sex, through teaching methods that allow each child to grow into a unique individual.

The Swedish government has appointed a committee of inquiry to plan and implement measures aimed at boosting gender equality in school, upper secondary school and adult education. On average, girls in Sweden have consistently higher grades than boys. In the past two decades, girls have caught up with boys in mathematics and science.

A greater proportion of women than men complete their upper secondary education. Women constitute roughly 60 percent of all students in undergraduate university studies.

Almost two-thirds of all degrees are awarded to women. Significantly more women than men participate in adult education. In postgraduate studies, women now constitute almost half of all new students.

They also account for about 48 percent of doctoral degrees, a figure that is steadily increasing.

Four ombudsmen become one

At the same time, the seven anti-discrimination laws were replaced by a single law, the Discrimination Act. These legislative changes were introduced to give citizens stronger and broader protection against discrimination. New provisions were introduced prohibiting discrimination due to age and transgender identity or expression.

The Discrimination Ombudsman reviews rights concerning gender equality in the workplace, in the school system and in certain other areas, including employment.

The ombudsman oversees compliance with the following government laws:
1. The Discrimination Act combats discrimination due to sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.
2. The Act concerning Equal Treatment of Students in Higher Education
3. The Act Prohibiting Discrimination and Other Degrading Treatment of Children and School Students includes preschools, schools for students with intellectual disabilities, and childcare facilities.
4. The Parental Leave Act mainly concerns the prohibition of discrimination against one sex or the other.

Did you know that…
The life expectancy of the Swedish population continues to rise. In 2008, it was 83.2 years for women and 78.6 years for men.
Photo: Johhny Franzen/Johner

Women and men at work

Sweden has come a long way in making sure that women and men are treated equally in the workplace. 

The Discrimination Act has two main sections dealing with gender equality in the workplace. First, there is the requirement that all employers must work actively and pursue specific goals to promote equality between men and women. Second, the law prohibits discrimination and obliges employers to investigate and take measures against harassment. Employers should not treat unfairly any employee or job applicant who is, has been or will be on parental leave. 

In Sweden, the proportion of women in top posts is increasing in both the public and private sectors. Photo: Maskot

Pay differentials between men and women can largely be explained by differences in their profession, sector, position, work experience and age. There are also pay differentials that cannot be explained in this way but may be attributable to gender. These are called unjustified pay differentials. On average, women’s monthly salaries are 93 percent of men’s when differences in choice of profession and sector are taken into account. Pay differentials are most pronounced in the private sector.

Economic and political power

The government’s gender eqality policy is twofold: to ensure power and resources are fairly distributed between the sexes, and to create the conditions that give women and men the same power and opportunities.

In professional life, the proportion of women in top posts is increasing. The percentage of women heading Swedish private limited companies (with more than one employee, excluding the managing director) was 26 percent in 2007. This represents an increase of 17 percentage points since 1990. The proportion of women on the boards of listed companies is also increasing, having risen from 6 percent in 2002 to 18 percent in 2006. The figures are higher in the public sector.

The majority — 52 percent — of managers in municipal, county council and central government are women. Almost half (47 percent) of all Swedish members of parliament and 10 out of 22 government ministers are women. Among elected politicians in municipalities and county councils, women comprise 41 percent.

Mainstreaming

Mainstreaming is a term used in Sweden and elsewhere to describe the incorporation of a gender equality perspective into the work of government agencies at all levels. The idea is that gender equality is not a separate, isolated issue but a continual process.

Thorough statistics

In Sweden all official statistics are collected, analyzed and presented by gender. Quantitative gender equality means equal distribution (50/50) between men and women in all areas of society. Qualitative gender equality means that the knowledge and experience of both men and women is to be taken into consideration and made use of to promote progress in all areas of society.

Violence against women

In 2008, about 28,000 cases of male violence against women were recorded. The number of reported cases has risen over the years, with more women daring to make a complaint. Legislation in this sphere changed in the early 1980s, making it impossible for women to withdraw an allegation.

Women who need help can turn to Roks, the national organization for women’s and girls’ shelters in Sweden, the Swedish Association of Women’s Shelters or All Women’s House, Sweden’s largest shelter association.

There are some 160 shelters in Sweden, largely run by volunteers. In Stockholm, Operation Peace for Women also promotes cooperation between agencies and organizations that are in contact with women exposed to violence.

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