Sweden and other nations in Northern Europe are considered as being the most democratic nations in the world. Democracy in this case would refer to the respect for the rule of law, inclusive governance, and the equity in opportunities for the citizenry. This paper seeks to answer the question of whether Sweden is a women friendly state. This paper takes an affirmative position arguing that Sweden is indeed a women friendly state.
Traditionally, women have been confined to the domestic sphere where their responsibility has been centered on childbearing and taking care of the household. Men on the other hand have been associated with the public sphere. It is important to realize that it is in the public sphere that negotiation takes place. Policy formulation and welfare of the state is determined at the public sphere. This means that men are the people bestowed with the responsibility of policy making and policy entrepreneurship in male dominated societies. However, this is not a fair approach because women also make up a reasonable proportion of the population in these societies. In the light of this, Sweden can be considered as being a women friendly state because it has put in place mechanisms that have made it possible for women to participate in the public life of their state both in terms of the economy and in terms of politics.
In terms of the economy, Sweden has created various initiatives that have increased the number of women in the workforce. Some of these initiatives have been the expansion of the public sector. Lena Anderson –Skog writes that “By the end of the twentieth century, Sweden had one of the highest proportions of women in the workforce in the industrialized world and was considered a role model in its empowerment of women and its record of conferring equal rights on men and women”(Andersson-Skog, 2007, p.451). This is an indication that Sweden has taken remarkable strides in ensuring the women in the country are involved in the growth and the development of the state. The increase in the number of women in the public sector ensures that women are more independent economy wise. In this way, the traditional roles that makes men the outright breadwinners in the family. The Swedish society has also created initiatives to allow for the thriving of innovation and entrepreneurship in the business sector. Critics argue that the achievements that women have realized in the business sector have limited literature coverage despite the fact that women have become more proactive in the Swedish economy after the 1970s (Andersson- Skog, 2007, p.454). However, it is important to realize that Sweden is not a Utopian society. Sweden as a nation is not perfect. There are still some biases regarding women and their role in society. Creating total equality and equality among both men and women is a continuous process that grows over time.
The important thing that should be supported and hailed is the fact that Sweden has made positive steps in making sure that Sweden society is providing opportunities for women which were not accessible to them in the past. To reinforce this idea, Ruth Lister in her article Gender, Citizenship, and Social Justice in the Nordic Welfare States, writes that “Equality, solidarity, and universalism are values that explicitly underpin the Nordic model’s commitment to the principle of inclusionary and equal citizenship”(Lister, 2009, p.246). However, Lister is quick to point out that Nordic states such as Sweden continue to face various challenges in this quest. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that fact that Sweden and other Nordic states have made positive steps towards making their nations more women friendly amidst all the challenges that they face.
Reference List
Andersson-Skog, L. (2007). In the Shadow of the Swedish Welfare State: Women and the Service Sector. The Business History Review. 81 (3), p451-470.
Lister, R. (2009). A Nordic Nirvana: Gender, Citizenship, and Social Justice in the Nordic Welfare States. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society. 16 (2), p242-278.
