Fact sheet developed by the Organisation for International Women in Malmö in December 2005 for the Samarbeta Jämt Project by Anne Jalakas, Journalist and translated into English by Fiona Winders.
Women and politics
It should go without saying that half of all politicians are women because half the population are women. But this still isn't the case, despite the fact that Sweden is second best in the world with 45 per cent women in parliament, 50 per cent women in government and approximately 40 per cent women at local and regional level.
The question "are men needed in politics?" provokes confusion. But it's still normal to talk about "women politicians" and "women's issues", as if there were "normal" politicians and "normal" issues.
There are not. But there are conflicting interests in politics to do with gender and which deal with the fact that women and men live, at least in part, different lives both inside and outside work.
A slow start
Historically speaking, developments in Sweden have gone slowly. Women got voting rights in 1919 but it took 26 years before the first woman minister was appointed. It wasn't until 1968 that the Centre Party got its first female parliamentarians. Only during the 1970's did the proportion of women begin to strongly increase.
In 1991 the proportion of women in parliament suddenly reduced, something that led to an enormous debate. The pressure group Stödstrumporna was founded and threatened to build a separate women's party unless the other parties pulled themselves together and nominated more women. The threat hit home, not least amongst the Social Democrats, who introduced the principal of Varannan damernas (every other one a women) at all levels of the party.
This was the proportion of women in parliament after the 2002 election:
Social Demoncrats 47,2
Moderates 40,0
The Folk Party 47,9
Christian Democrats 30,3
Left Party 46,7
Centre Party 50,0
Green Party 58,8
The Gender Rift
Lena Wängnerud and Maria Oskarsson, both political experts, wrote in the book "Kvinnor som väljare och valda" (women as voters and the elected) that the gender rift is found in both Sweden and other countries. In the USA it was men who elected Ronald Reagan and in Sweden women vote more 'left' than men. Women also prioritise different political issues. They are more interested in care issues (social policies, schools and care of the elderly) than are men. Men are more interested in tax issues than women.
Significance
Does it matter if women get involved in politics? It does, according to Lena Wängnerud's research, published in the equality policies inquiry. She has looked at gender division in the committees of parliament and a clear picture emerges. In the area of social welfare there is an overrepresentation of women and an underrepresentation within economic/technical areas. This gender pattern decreased as from the 1994 election, when all parties made a conscious effort to break the gender pattern in committees.
Wängnerud's conclusion is that the centre of gravity in politics has shifted. Without women in politics we would not have well-developed childcare nor the best parental arrangements in the world.
Joanna Esseveld, sociologist, is more doubtful about the effect of increased numbers of women. Her research shows that the gender pattern has not changed as much as we believe. The only area that men and women are equally occupied with is labour market issues. Otherwise the women work with traditionally female areas and men with traditionally male ones, she writes in Forskning och Framsteg (nr 8 2005).
Representation
The principle that different groups, ages and geographical areas should be represented in politics has strong support amongst the public. But this doesn't fully apply when it comes to gender and ethnic background, a new study from Gothenburg University shows. People with immigrant backgrounds think it's more important that immigrants be elected than do native Swedes. More women than men want more women elected.
Political roles
What's it like to be a woman in politics? And how does one come to be a politician?
Ann-Sofie Lennqvist Lindén is a political expert in Örebro and researches political roles. She points out the inbalance between politicians and public officials. In local authorities the most senior officers are often men and they have a tendency to treat politicians like children who must be brought up. 28 per cent of local politicians in one of the ongoing studies consider that they have been subject to patronising treatment. The gender difference is dramatic. Four out of ten women responded yes to the question, compared with two in ten men. One result is that many, including women and men, leave politics. This especially applies to the young.
Support for the new
Network are a normal way to support both new and established women. In Ulricehamn there is a network for women from all political parties. It's a loose arrangement, has no membership records or strict rules. In the neighbouring authority of Tranemo the network Kvinnokraft works in a similar way, over party boundaries. The Social Democrats in Lund have started a coaching programme for women. There, experienced politicians meet with women who are interested in politics but don't know if they want to commit to it.
How does one go about getting active?
· A first step is to look at the parties' home pages, see what they offer and then make contact with the party you prefer.
· Contacts are decisive, says a new dissertation by Birgitta Niklasson in Göteborg. A good network of contacts gives a rising politician access to information, references and appointments. 'Contact capital' is more important for women than men.
· Learn from others. Read, for example "Krossa glastaket, makthandbok för kvinnor" (see reading tips). There one finds the following advice from Ann-Sofie Ohlander, professor and author: "Think how significant it is simply that you sit as as an elected representative. You are an important symbol for other women".
The political parties
· Social Democrats' women's section, s-kvinnor. www.s-kvinnor.se
· Moderates. No women's section but the network Moderatkvinnorna which amongst other activities educates female elected represenatatives. www.moderat.se
· The Folk Party's women's section Liberala kvinnor, seek via www.folkpartiet.se
· Centre Party www.centerkvinnorna.se
· Christian Democrats www.kvinnor.kristdemokrat.se
· The Green Party www.mp.se
· The Left Party. www.vansterpartiet.se
Do you want to know more? Here are some reading tips (Swedish publications):
· Kjell Östberg. Efter rösträtten. Kvinnors utrymme efter det demokratiska genombrottet. Symposion förlag 1997
· Maria Herngren, Eva Swedenmark, Annica Wennström. Krossa glastaket. Makthandbok för kvinnor. Utbildningsförlaget Brevskolan 1998
· Maria Oskarsson, Lena Wängnerud. Kvinnor som väljare och valda. Studentlitteratur
· Ingvar Mattson och Lena Wängnerud (red). Riksdagen på nära håll. SNS Förlag 1997
· Maud Eduards. Förbjuden handling. Om kvinnors organisering och feministisk teori. Liber 2002
· Diskriminering i politiken? En översikt av kunskapen om strukturella hinder och
bemötanden bland förtroendevalda i Sverige http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/04/89/55/9ada972e.pdf
· Makt att forma samhället och sitt eget liv. Jämställdhetspolitiska utredningen finns att ladda ned från regeringens hemsida. Där kan man också se presskonferensen på webb-tv: http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/5073/a/47912
