Ministry of Employment

Honour-based violence and oppression is a serious societal problem, and combating it effectively requires special knowledge and understanding. The Government is therefore adopting an action plan against honour-based violence and oppression for 2026–2028 with a view to stepping up action at all levels of society. The action plan contains measures in five strategic areas and stakes out a clear direction for the work going forward.

On 11–13 May, Minister for Health Care Elisabet Lann and Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson visited Kyiv and Lviv. The aim of their visit was to gain insight into Ukraine’s health and medical care and the situation for women during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Statement at the Conference on ”Abolition in Action, 10th anniversary of French abolitionist law” in the French Parliament, Paris, 13 April 2026. Check against delivery.

On 13 April, the French and Swedish Ministers for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé and Nina Larsson met in Paris. They discussed their national experiences in preventing and combating sexual exploitation and reaffirmed their commitment to the French - Swedish joint strategy to combat human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Europe and globally.

The Swedish Government is presenting a new 10-year national strategy for combating men’s violence against women, domestic violence, exploitation in prostitution and human trafficking, and honour-based violence and oppression. In parallel, the Government has decided on two Government Commissions tasking several government agencies to take part in a national collaboration structure and to monitor progress in relation to the gender equality subgoals to combat violence, oppression and exploitation.

Statement by Ms Nina Larsson, Minister for Gender Equality at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, 9 March 2026. Check against delivery.

Russia’s systematic and illegal attacks in Ukraine have deadly consequences. Women may be vulnerable, but they also play a key role in Ukraine’s civilian resilience in areas such as health and medical care, education and defence initiatives. Therefore, the Government is allocating more than SEK 71 million for activities that benefit women and girls in Ukraine. The funds will be distributed between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Programme for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) with a focus on humanitarian activities.

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place on 9–19 March. Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson is attending the first week of the session. The session on women’s rights and gender equality is held annually and is the second largest in the UN system. Sweden’s participation is important, given the need for strong voices on gender equality in the world. For the first time, the Swedish Armed Forces will be part of the Swedish delegation.

Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson will lead the Swedish delegation attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York on 9–19 March, the world’s largest conference on women’s rights and gender equality. Ms Larsson will take part during the first week and will be advocating for stronger international alliances against online threats and hatred. The conference on women’s rights and gender equality is held annually and is the second largest in the UN system.

The Government’s task force for Jewish life in Sweden gathered for its first meeting of the year on 30 January. On this occasion, it was held at the Swedish Police Authority’s premises in Kungsholmen, Stockholm. The meeting was attended by Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer, National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh and representatives of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights and the National Agency for Education.

Minister for Employment Johan Britz will assume responsibility for climate and environment issues in the Government while Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is on parental leave. Meanwhile, he will retain his regular responsibility for labour market policy.

On 11–13 January, the Swedish Government took part in the Society and Defence Annual Conference in Sälen. 2026 marks 80 years since the first conference was held, and the theme for 2026 was ‘Resolve and delivery’. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson opened the conference with a speech and Gunnar Strömmer, Minister for Justice, Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pål Jonson, Minister for Defence and Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence, also spoke. The Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Ebba Busch, also attended the conference.

The Government and the Sweden Democrats today presented a new agreement to adjust the wage level for labour immigration to 90 per cent of the median wage in Sweden. The cooperation parties also plan to set out stricter requirements for family member immigration. The Government and the Sweden Democrats have additionally announced an upcoming inquiry aimed at curtailing abuses.

Jewish culture is an integral part of Swedish culture, and Jewish history in Sweden is an essential thread in the fabric of our shared cultural heritage. It should be self-evident that Jews in Sweden can wear their Star of David or kippah openly and with pride. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Fighting work-related crime is a priority area for the Government. For this reason, the Government has approved a bill with proposals aiming to introduce more stringent conditions for labour immigration and counteract fraud and work-related crime, while still promoting immigration of highly-skilled labour.

On 12 December 2024, the government adopted an action plan to combat racism and hate crime to ensure that work in this area can be better targeted and easier to evaluate, and for it to have a long-term focus. Particular focus is given to the areas Schools, the Judicial system, the Welfare system and Working life. A large number of efforts against racism and hate crime have been decided upon, contributing to the work under the Action Plan.

The Government has decided to appoint an inquiry to deepen knowledge about parallel social structures that among other things consist of clans and family-based networks. The inquiry will define the impacts of such groups in terms of integration and exclusion in Sweden. The aim is to develop in-depth knowledge that will improve efforts to counteract parallel social structures and contribute to a safer, and a more cohesive Sweden.

The Government has decided to grant SEK 5 million to the World Values Survey (WVS) to carry out yet another survey on values and social norms in Sweden, with a specific focus on foreign born. The aim, among other things, is to improve and develop ways of monitoring integration.

The Swedish Government has introduced a new, seventh gender equality policy sub-goal: Honour-based violence and oppression must end. The aim is to give the issue greater visibility and improve knowledge, so that more people can live free from violence and oppression.