Minister for Gender Equality wants to see stronger international alliances against online threats and hatred

Recently, there have been discussions of how major online tech companies have failed to introduce sufficient measures to protect women and girls from abuse and to counter the harmful effects that their content has on women, such as sexual harassment, online violence and unhealthy body image. The content we encounter online also affects us offline, and studies from organisations such as the Swedish Agency for the Media have shown significant differences in what boys and girls see in their algorithm-driven social media feeds. 

“The largest tech companies in the world have such enormous power that international cooperation is needed to be able to curtail their influence. No single nation on its own has a realistic chance of influencing these global actors. To exert more pressure on these issues, more countries need to cooperate,” says Ms Larsson, and continues:

“Nowadays, it’s obvious that major tech companies and their platforms are no longer neutral communications channels. The result is that hatred and extremism are being spread faster than facts, responsibility and reflection, which threatens gender equality.”

Sweden is already a member of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse. This includes a number of like-minded countries, such as Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Swedish Government has undertaken several initiatives in the area, such as appointing an inquiry tasked with analysing the possibility of introducing an age limit for children’s social media usage.

During the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Ms Larsson will be encouraging a dialogue on these matters through open events and bilateral meetings with ministers from other countries. 

“I’m particularly looking forward to engaging with colleagues from countries like Australia, France and the UK, which are also working actively with this. The focus should be on cooperation with the aim of creating a safer online environment from a gender perspective.” says Ms Larsson.

Sweden is participating with a delegation of around 30 people representing the Riksdag, the Government Offices, various government agencies and civil society. The Swedish Armed Forces will also be participating for the first time. 

“Sweden is a strong voice for gender equality globally. We will work hard to continue to demonstrate how gender equality contributes to increased growth, competitiveness and prosperity, for the benefit of everyone in society,” says Ms Larsson.