Gender equality

The Government’s new action programme to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, domestic violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking, for the period 2024–2026, contatins over 130 initiatives and measures. This is a short version of the action programme.

The Government is working tirelessly to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, domestic violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking. The Government´s new action programme for the period 2024–2026 helps reinforce these efforts.

The Government is now presenting an action programme to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, domestic violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking for the period 2024–2026. The programme contains over 130 initiatives and measures to be undertaken on a broad front at national, regional and local level. The efforts will also be strengthened in four special priority areas for development.

National Statement delivered by Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg, at the 68th Session of the Commission on Status of Women, New York, 12 March 2024. Check against delivery.

The Swedish Gender Equality Agency has been tasked with sharing knowledge about honour-based violence and oppression in connection with stays abroad. The Government has now also tasked the Agency with analyzing and presenting proposals for a national reporting and follow-up system for cases where a child or adult has been taken abroad. This involves determining the scope of the problem and establishing an approach to systematic follow-up.

On 10–16 March, Minister for Gender Equality Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), also known as the UN women’s commission, in New York. The theme of this year’s session is combating poverty and how institutions and financing can be strengthened from a gender equality perspective. Ms Brandberg is also hosting the activities arranged by the Nordic Council of Ministers, of which Sweden is holding the Presidency in 2024. Ms Brandberg will hold two policy speeches: Sweden’s policy speech and a policy speech for an LGBTI Core Group that includes Sweden.

Statement by Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg, at the 68th Session of the Commission on Status of Women, New York, 11 March 2024. Check against delivery.

The Government has approved SEK 3 million in additional funding for 2024 to the National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women at Uppsala University. The aim is to increase staffing of the help line for people subjected to violence, particularly in the evening and at night, to enable more callers to get through and receive support.

Preventing and combating men’s violence against women, other types of intimate partner violence, and honour-based violence and oppression is a high priority for the Government. More than SEK 600 million will be invested in gender equality in 2024 and government agencies have been assigned several new assignments. The Government is now further strengthening the work towards gender equality and presents investment in women’s economic empowerment and to increase knowledge about national minorities’ exposure to violence.

This material provides an overview of main areas of the Government policy on gender equality. It describes current political goals and strategies and gives a brief historical background to important reforms. It also identifies further remaining challenges and explains how the Government is addressing these and what measures are taken in order to initiate change.

Preventing and combating men’s violence against women and honour-based violence and oppression is a highly prioritised issue in action for gender equality. Through its gender equality policy, the Government is investing over SEK 600 million in this area in 2024. The appropriation directions given to several government agencies have given them important mandates to strengthen these efforts, which require long-term sustainability and persistence.

The action plan applies to the period 2024-2028 and focuses on the role of women and girls in conflicts and peace processes.

On 26 October, the Government submitted its thematic report to the Council of Europe on how Sweden is implementing the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Civil society organisations can submit shadow reports on their view of Sweden’s implementation of the Convention.

The Government’s Budget Bill for 2024 proposes initiatives to combat and prevent honour-based violence and oppression, and racism and discrimination. The Government also intends to take measures to combat wage guarantee abuse. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. On 20 September, the Government presented the Budget Bill for 2024 to the Riksdag.

Members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse gave a statement on women’s and girls’ rights to participate in public life.

The European Commission and the Swedish Presidency will jointly review the progress of the Commission’s Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027 at the Occupational safety and health summit in Stockholm on 15–16 May. The themes include mental health at work, the ‘vision zero’ approach to work-related deaths, and the impact of climate change on occupational safety and health (OSH).

On 20–21 April, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) will hold a conference in Lund, focusing on institutional protection of human rights in times of crisis.

National Statement delivered by H.E. Ms. Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Minister of Employment of Sweden at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, New York, 8 March 2023. Check against delivery.

The following is a statement from the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High Representative of the European Union.

This support is intended to strengthen the two countries’ efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of women and girls and promote their opportunities and rights in both the short and the long term. The support will be channelled through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women.