Swedish Gender Equality Policy
Maria Arnholm
Minister for Gender Equality,
Deputy Minister for Education
Ulrika Stuart Hamilton
State Secretary to Minister for Gender Equality
and Deputy Minister for Education
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
The goal: gender equality
Overall objective: to ensure that women and men have
the same power to shape society and their own lives.
Four sub-goals:
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Equal distribution of power and influence.
Economic equality
Equal distribution of unpaid care and household work
Men’s violence against women must stop
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
The strategy: gender mainstreaming
• Decisions in all policy areas, at all levels are to be
permeated by a gender equality perspective
• Requires clear leadership, dedication at
management level, well known objectives, support
and coordination
• The Minister for Gender Equality is responsible for
coordinating, developing and following-up the
gender mainstreaming work
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Gender mainstreaming – a case
• The Government has launched a “Platform for
Gender Mainstreaming” for the period 2012-2015
• 18 national agencies participate in a national
development programme
• The agencies will draw up gender mainstream
action plans to be implemented in 2014 – their
experiences will serve as good practice
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Three strategic reforms in the 70’s
crucial for Gender Equality in Sweden
• Abolition of the joint taxation system
• Expansion of universal child care provision
• Individual parental ”insurance”
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Gender equality a precondition for
economic growth
• Women and men working to the same extent in paid
jobs enhance gender equality
• Employment rate: women 63 %, men 68 %
(age 15-74)
• More women on the labour market is a key to high
GDP; i.e. a foundation for developing welfare
reforms and increased welfare
• Employment rate in Sweden is higher than in most
European countries
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Swedish family policy
Aim:
• To contribute to improved conditions for good living
standards for all families with children, increased
freedom of choice, empowerment of parents and
reconciliation of work and family life
Factors for success:
• Generous spending on family benefits
• Flexible leave and working hours for parents with
young children
• Affordable, high-quality preschool
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
The Swedish preschool system
• A key component of the welfare system
• A cornerstone of the work-first principle and gender
equality
Family policy is aimed at supporting the dual-earner
family model and ensuring the same rights and
obligations regarding family and work for both women
and men.
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
The parental insurance system
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Introduced in 1974, replacing what was previously known as maternity
insurance
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Today, parental benefit is available for a period of 16 months.
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13 months are compensated at 80% of the previous income up to a ceiling of
around 3560 EUR/month.
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Three months are given at a flat rate of approximately 20 EUR per day. This
benefit can be claimed until the child is eight years old.
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Not uncommon for employers to supplement parental benefits to a higher
rate.
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
The Swedish preschool: fees
• Parental fees are directly proportional to parents’
income and inversely proportional to the number of
children in a family.
• The fee can be up to 3% of the family’s monthly
income, but no more than 1,260 SEK per month.
• The parental fees cover, on average, only 7% of
the real cost of a place in preschool which means
that the cost is heavily subsidized.
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Extra funding 2007 – 2014 to enhance
gender equality
• 2007 – 2010: 1,6 billion SEK
• 2010 – 2014: another nearly 1 billion SEK
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden
Funding - prioritiy areas
– developing and enhancing work on Gender
Mainstreaming in the public sector,
– promoting gender equality in the labour
market,
– promoting gender equality in schools,
– improving knowledge of women's health
issues,
– combating men's violence against women,
and preventing young people from
marrying against their will,
– combating prostitution and trafficking.
Ministry of Education and Research Sweden
Government Offices of Sweden