Sweden has been continually branded as one of the best countries to be a woman. This is largely a result of the Swedish Government placing feminism at the foreground of many of their policies and legislation. The Swedish Government even states on its website that it ‘pursues a feminist foreign policy’ while recognising ‘the discrimination and systemic subordination’ women are still subjected to today. This direct and active approach to gender equality is wildly refreshing when compared to the passivity and sometimes counter activity of other national governments.
An example of their progressive legislation is when they granted parents 480 days parental leave to share, with 390 of those days being paid for at 80%, making Sweden’s parental leave policy one of the most generous in the world. The 2018 law requiring explicit consent before sex is another example, stating that ‘Sex must be voluntary- if it is not, then it is illegal’. This clear wording has meant that criminals who have committed acts of sexual violence, which disproportionately affect women, can be prosecuted more easily. This led to an increase of 75% in the number of rape convictions since the law was passed.
Sweden has also been exceptionally proficient in cultural and social terms. For example, many Swedish schools have adapted their curriculums to counteract traditional gender roles, which may have contributed to the fact that girls generally out-perform boys in their national tests. Furthermore, employment rates between men and women are almost identical with 70.5% of men and 66.1% of women being employed in 2019. This clearly conveys that when given the opportunity, women are more than capable of excelling.
Written by Madeline Harding
Artwork by Delicia
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