Swedish Gender Equality Policy

1. Swedish Gender Equality Policy Maria Arnholm Minister for Gender Equality, Deputy Minister for Education Ulrika Stuart Hamilton State Secretary to Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Minister for Education

2. The goal: gender equality • Overall objective: to ensure that women and men have the same power to shape society and their own lives. • Four sub-goals: • Equal distribution of power and influence. • Economic equality • Equal distribution of unpaid care and household work • Men’s violence against women must stop

3. The strategy: gender mainstreaming • Decisions in all policy areas, at all levels are to be permeated by a gender equality perspective • Requires clear leadership, dedication at management level, well known objectives, support and coordination • The Minister for Gender Equality is responsible for coordinating, developing and following-up the gender mainstreaming work

4. Gender mainstreaming – a case • The Government has launched a “Platform for Gender Mainstreaming” for the period 2012-2015 • 18 national agencies participate in a national development programme • The agencies will draw up gender mainstream action plans to be implemented in 2014– their experiences will serve as good practice

5. Three strategic reforms in the 70’s crucial for Gender Equality in Sweden • Abolition of the joint taxation system • Expansion of universal childcare provision • Individualparental”insurance”

6. Gender equality a precondition for economicgrowth • Women and men workingto the same extent in paidjobsenhance gender equality • Employment rate: women 63 %, men 68 % (age 15-74) • Morewomenon the labour market is a keytohighGDP; i.e. a foundationfor developingwelfare reforms and increasedwelfare • Employmentrate in Sweden is higherthan in mostEuropeancountries

7. Swedish family policy Aim: • To contribute to improved conditions for good living standards for all families with children, increased freedom of choice, empowerment of parents and reconciliation of work and family life Factors for success: • Generous spending on family benefits • Flexible leave and working hours for parents with young children • Affordable, high-quality preschool

8. The Swedish preschool system • A key component of the welfare system • A cornerstone of the work-first principle and gender equality Family policy is aimed at supporting the dual-earner family model and ensuring the same rights and obligations regarding family and work for both women and men.

9. The parental insurance system • Introduced in 1974, replacing what was previously known as maternity insurance • Today, parental benefit is available for a period of 16 months. • 13 months are compensated at 80% of the previous income up to a ceiling of around 3560 EUR/month. • Three months are given at a flat rate of approximately 20 EUR per day. This benefit can be claimed until the child is eight years old. • Not uncommon for employers to supplement parental benefits to a higher rate.

10. The Swedish preschool: fees • Parental fees are directly proportional to parents’ income and inversely proportional to the number of children in a family. • The fee can be up to 3% of the family’s monthly income, but no more than 1,260 SEK per month. • The parental fees cover, on average, only 7% of the real cost of a place in preschool which means that the cost is heavily subsidized.

12. Extra funding 2007 – 2014 to enhance gender equality • 2007 – 2010: 1,6 billion SEK • 2010 – 2014: another nearly 1 billion SEK

13. Funding - prioritiy areas • developing and enhancing work on Gender Mainstreaming in the public sector, • promoting gender equality in the labour market, • promoting gender equality in schools, • improving knowledge of women's health issues, • combating men's violence against women, and preventing young people from marrying against their will, • combating prostitution and trafficking.