Sweden & Women’s Rights
Gender equality is one of the cornerstones of Swedish society. Women have the same opportunities in life like men do. They are allowed to drive a car, study, work. chose the partner they want to and so on. Swedish girls and women are not treated differently and this is all very normal in Sweden. From very early on the Swedish goverment made sure that women had rights and where protected againts violence. In the year 1250 for example, King Birger Jarl made sure that rape and adbuction where violations that would be punished. Other important moments in history for the rights of Swedish women are:
1921 Women get the right to vote and run for office.
1921 The first five women win seats in government: Kerstin Hesselgren, Elisabeth Tamm, Agda Östlund, Nelly Thüring and Bertha Wellin.
1965 Sweden becomes the first country to pass a law against rape in marriage.
1975 New abortion law comes into force.
1980 Female succession to the throne comes into effect.
1998 The Act on Violence against Women is introduced.
1999 The Act Prohibiting the Purchase of Sexual Services is introduced.
2004 The government decides to implement an action plan for gender mainstreaming in government offices.
2005 New legislation on sexual crimes further strengthens the absolute right of every individual to sexual integrity and self-determination.
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Some women’s rights are worth explaining more deeply!
First is the Abortion Act. From the year 1974, Swedish women got the legal rights to an abortion during the first 18 weeks of pregnancy. A woman can decide for herself whether to have an abortion through the 18th week of pregnancy without having to give a reason. After that first 18 weeks, an abortion may be performed if there are special reasons for doing so up to week 22. In such cases, the National Board of Health and Welfare conducts an investigation before deciding whether to allow the abortion.
In 1998 the Act on Violence against Women came into force. The law states that the violence and abuse to which a woman is subjected, for instance by a man close to her, adds up. Each blow and/or each instance of sexual and psychological degradation against the woman is taken into account. The sentence for this crime, a gross violation of a woman’s integrity, is a maximum of six years imprisonment.
And in 1999 the Act Prohibiting the Purchase of Sexual Services was introduced. The way prostitution is viewed in society has a direct impact on gender equality. It made buying sexual services illegal in Sweden. This targets the purchaser rather than the adults or children involved in prostitution. As a result, street prostitution has declined dramatically along with the general acceptance of purchasing sex. The Swedish policy in this field has significantly contributed to change in other countries (Sweden.se, n.d.).
How does the Swedish goverment nowadays protects equality between the two sexes?
Sweden has a number of government ministers and groups charged with making sure men, women and children have the same rights and opportunities.
• The Minister for Integration and Gender Equality coordinates the government’s gender equality policy. Each government minister in Sweden is responsible for gender equality issues in his or her particular area of responsibility.
• The Division for Gender Equality is responsible for coordinating the government’s work in this area and on special projects involving gender equality, as well as developing methods for implementing gender equality. Each county administrative board employs an expert on gender equality issues.
• The Equal Opportunities Commission can direct employers to take active measures to bolster gender equality under penalty of fines.
• The Discrimination Ombudsman seeks to combat discrimination and promote equal rights and opportunities for all (Sweden. se, n.d.).
This was a general introduction on women’s rights in Sweden and how the Swedish goverment tries to protect it. In my next blog I will discuss education in Sweden!
Women of the world 