Response to interpellation 2024/25:395 on the statement regarding the presidency of UN Women
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
L prioritizes gender equality integration in the Government Offices and emphasizes that Sweden, during its presidency of UN Women, should focus on women's economic empowerment and more effective governance. L argues that the government prioritizes gender equality nationally and internationally through concrete measures such as Pushing for progress and Generation Equality 1. L claims that the government's focus on combating inflation is important policy that supports those with the least money 1. L also argues that the government acts as a role model by including the organization Talita in the delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2. L argues that the Social Democratic government did not set a good example when the Foreign Minister wore a veil in Iran. L also argues that it is dishonest to claim that the government caused the economically difficult period 2. S criticizes the government for having abolished the feminist foreign policy 3 4. S argues that the government does not show concrete action and criticizes tax cuts that affect mothers 4. S believes that gender equality is in decline and that the government does not show national gender equality initiatives that yield results 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! Sofia Amloh has asked me what I meant by the words "powerful action that makes a real difference" in the debate article that the Foreign Minister and I wrote in Aftonbladet on January 10th on the occasion of Sweden's assumption of the presidency of UN Women. I would like to thank you for the question and for the questioner's commitment to equality.
The Swedish government prioritizes the work for equality. On 6 February, we made a new decision that the Government Offices shall continue to gender-mainstream its activities 2025–2029. Central processes for gender mainstreaming in the Government Offices are the budget process, agency management, the legislative process, and the processes for EU work and other international work.
Sweden takes on the chairmanship of the UN Women board during an important year for gender equality issues. The global plan of action on gender equality, the Beijing Platform for Action, turns 30 years old (Beijing+30), which the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) focuses on in March and which culminates in a major celebration during the UN High-Level Week in September 2025. Additionally, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) celebrates 25 years, which is highlighted during the so-called WPS week in October 2025.
Sweden will, during its presidency, place extra focus on women's and girls' economic empowerment, increased cross-regional cooperation within the board, simplification of the working methods in the board, and increased coherence between the UN's funds and programs for more efficient governance and results at the country level.
In March 2025, I will for the third time lead a large delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women's annual meeting. Sweden will both before and during the meeting be a strong and constructive voice for all women and girls' full enjoyment of human rights. The thematic priorities and starting points are found in the government's national equality policy goals and sub-goals and the equality policy priorities that appear in the foreign policy declaration. The same applies in terms of equal rights and opportunities for hbtqi persons.
At the beginning of the year, Sweden also renewed its commitments within the framework of the UN initiative Generation Equality and its coalition on economic equality and justice, in order to better reflect the government's priorities in the area both nationally and internationally. Sweden will report annually on what has been achieved.
In conclusion, I want to emphasize that equality is a fundamental aspect of the work with human rights and democracy. Equality contributes to ensuring and promoting the potential of both women and men. All ministers in the government are responsible for ensuring that equality and the equality perspective take hold within their respective areas of responsibility in both national and international contexts.
Sofia Amloh (S)
Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for the answer. As so often, the Minister chooses to comment on the state of affairs, and there we are rarely in disagreement. But it is rarely what we in the opposition request those specific comments, but rather what is requested is what the government intends to do to change the current situation.
What we learned from the Minister's answer, Madam Speaker, is that previous successes should be acknowledged and celebrated. Do not misunderstand me; that is good and important. But many among me want to know what Sweden is going to do moving forward.
On January 10 this year, in connection with the takeover of the presidency of UN Women, the minister wrote with his colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Aftonbladet the following: ”We will defend equality worldwide, not through beautiful words, but through powerful action that makes a real difference. That work begins by strengthening women's empowerment, both at home and globally.”
I return to my question about what the government concretely means by the words "not through beautiful words, but through powerful action." What does powerful action mean for this government?
One of the current government's first foreign policy positions and decisions was made by the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, namely to abolish the feminist foreign policy. Sweden introduced the feminist foreign policy as the first country in the world in 2014 under the Social Democratic-led government. Since then, a dozen countries, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Liberia and Spain, have followed suit and joined this ambition-raising direction.
Swedish foreign and development policy had before the introduction different forms of gender equality goals, but the feminist foreign policy touched upon all areas of foreign policy and was in itself clarifying for heightened ambitions and a strengthened prioritization of the area which gained great impact in and outside Sweden. This meant concretely a marked increase in gender equality work and efforts at foreign policy agencies and embassies. This is shown by an extensive study from EBA, the Expert Group for Aid Analysis, and it says a lot.
Madam Speaker! If equality is a core value in Swedish foreign policy and a priority area for our aid and our work in the UN – which it is for us Social Democrats – why was it then so incredibly important for the government to remove the successful feminist equality policy? What does the government mean by powerful action that makes a real difference? In what way will girls and women notice Sweden's powerful action?
Eva Lindh (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Equality for the answer.
It is an important question that my colleague Sofia Amloh poses. Just as the Minister for Equality and the Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote in her article, it is about moving from words to action. I would also say that it is important to lead by example. In that case, it is not enough to just refer to being the only woman speaking, to having written a debate article, or to utter fine words; it is important that it also becomes action. We feel that action is lacking, and unfortunately, we are not the only ones.
In the international contexts where I have spoken about equality, women have asked us not to lose focus on improving equality in Sweden or internationally. It is important to show that it is possible to improve the conditions for women and girls as well as for men and women; that we all actually benefit from better equality.
This is a question that requires an answer. What does the powerful action from this government mean? Like Sofia Amloh, I agree with the Minister for Equality regarding the background description. Equality is in decline in the world and, unfortunately, also in Sweden. Therefore, it is important that our common commitment, which I nevertheless believe I know the Minister for Equality has, does not stop at a commitment, but that we actually act.
What is the powerful action, and what is it to mean?
I have some concrete examples, namely an international issue and a national issue. In the answer, the Minister for Equality referred to the work that has been done for women, peace and security, that is to say resolution 1325. There we all agree that the work has stalled, and there a powerful action was really needed. It has never been more relevant and important than now that we tackle war and conflicts in our vicinity as well as polarization in the debate. But this government has removed the Swedish mediation network for women, which was supposed to play a major role as a role model and be a powerful action. What does the Minister for Equality intend to do about that? That was my concrete question.
Furthermore, I want to touch upon the gender mainstreaming that the Minister for Gender Equality mentioned in the answer. I do not agree that it is clearly visible in the budget. I have debated several times with the Minister for Finance about how one does not take up all issues but instead chooses issues where one can still demonstrate some success. Not in the budget, and not even in the area for which the Minister for Gender Equality is responsible when it comes to the fund, has a gender mainstreaming been carried out.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! The interpellor argues that it is important not only to use beautiful words, but that it is how one acts that matters. I completely agree with that.
Member of the Board Lindh says that it is important to lead by example. I also agree with that.
Madam Speaker! I will give a very concrete example of when the Social Democratic government was not a good example and their words became very empty. The Social Democratic government beat its chest regarding its feminist foreign policy, and then Foreign Minister Ann Linde went to Iran and put on a veil. It is a classic example of when words become very empty. It was a direct mockery of the freedom struggle taking place in Iran and the women who are subjected to that oppression.
Madam Speaker! This government is acting in several ways, of course including by being role models. In the time we live in, we truly need to focus on the conflict situation we find ourselves in. At the turn of the year 2023/2024, the government presented a new reform agenda for Swedish aid. In it, a special focus is placed on just girls and women in conflict situations. We live, in fact, in a world where no crisis or conflict is gender-neutral.
Madam Speaker! We now have extensive assistance to Ukraine. This assistance becomes increasingly important with each passing day. We are also now seeing actions from the USA that we need to analyze continuously. That action affects what we in Sweden consider important, including sexual and reproductive health and Ukraine. It is a situation that Sweden evaluates continuously. We simply need to continuously review how we should continue to support Ukraine and, of course, the girls and women who are affected in the conflict situation.
Sofia Amloh (S)
Madam Speaker! I intend to focus on the successful feminist foreign policy. It has been over two years since this government abolished it. At the same time, there has been a major regression in the world regarding the rights and living conditions of girls and women.
The Covid-19 pandemic has strongly affected poverty around the world for the worse, which hits girls and women hardest. Gender-based violence has increased, and conservative forces in almost all parts of the world are attacking and undermining girls' and women's human rights.
The fight against oppression and violence and for the right to one's own body happens every day, right now, in Afghanistan, in Iran and in many other places. It is in that context that the abolition of the feminist foreign policy should be seen.
We live in a time when equality is deliberately undermined. At that very moment, this SD government chooses to dismantle the framework that has focused on girls' and women's rights, the resources and the representation that were implemented broadly within foreign and development policy. That policy has inspired many other countries to do exactly the same.
Madam Speaker! EBA, the Expert Group for Aid Analysis, states that it was not just a label, as this government has said, but that it implied a strong prioritization of areas that had a major impact in and outside Sweden and in various parts of the Foreign Service. They also assess that the feminist framework signaled the height of ambitions in the work on equality within foreign policy. They note that Sweden assumed a stronger international leadership role. And that was abolished by this government immediately upon coming to power.
Madam Speaker! Given that it was also stated in the debate article that one should strengthen women's empowerment at home, I intend to devote a few minutes to some voices in this government's Sweden: "We are going down completely on our knees and turning over every krona." "I have a terrible ache in my stomach before every meal, because it means the children don't get any lunch." These are just a few of the many heartbreaking testimonies that we hear and that are reported on almost daily.
Sweden has historically been ranked as one of the world's most equal countries. But in the midst of the unsustainable situation with increased income inequalities, growing inequality, and the high inflation of recent years, which has led to increased costs for households, the government chooses to pull the rug out from under women by lowering the housing allowance and not increasing the child allowance or doing anything about the skyrocketing food prices. It is the hard-working mothers out there who suffer for this government's tax cut policy.
My question is: In what way does the Minister mean that you strengthen women's empowerment at home in the same way as you want to strengthen it globally?
Eva Lindh (S)
Madam Speaker! I still have not received an answer. Where is the powerful action that the Minister for Equality writes about together with her ministerial colleague? What does it mean? What is the concrete policy that we can see both internationally and nationally?
I think the description of the work that the S-led government did was mocking. The report that Sofia Amloh refers to shows that the feminist foreign policy yielded results. It made a difference. It was not just a label. It is not for the Minister for Gender Equality to bring up an example that she herself does not think was consistent with the feminist foreign policy we pursued.
The report shows that it really yielded results. I have seen it myself. We have met international organizations that say that it really made a difference, that it yielded results. And the first decision that this government took was to simply sweep away the important work that was done.
I want to once again give the Minister for Equality an opportunity to say in what way this conduct and the words described in their debate article will be interpreted. I also wonder what national equality initiatives have been undertaken that actually show results. I do not see that.
When the Minister comes to CSW, which I assume she will do, I hope she can answer all those who wonder why Sweden is not leading the way and why the feminist foreign policy was removed.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! I think it echoes quite hollow when one speaks of feminist foreign policy given that the Social Democratic government acted as it did. If I interpret Member Lindh correctly, she believes that it is I myself, Paulina Brandberg, who does not think it was an action that aligns with a feminist foreign policy. I dare to assert that it was more than just me who reacted to this. When one acts in that way, it actually becomes a hypocrisy.
Madam Speaker! This government prioritizes equality both nationally and internationally. As recently as last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs stood exactly where I am standing right now and read out the foreign policy declaration. She spoke about equality, the government's priorities, and how important it is for the government to strengthen girls' and women's empowerment in the world. I can guarantee you that Maria Malmer Stenergard will not travel to Iran with a hijab on her head.
In the international work, we do a great deal. I mentioned a number of concrete things in my answer. I perceive it as the interpellator and the other member do not think those measures count. I myself am, for example, very proud that we between the Nordic countries developed a three-year program, Pushing for progress, where we join forces to lead the equality work both in the Nordics and globally at this time when it matters most. This is a three-year program with concrete measures aimed at strengthening and developing the joint work regarding both equality and hbtqi persons.
When we met with the Nordic Council of Ministers, we had a conversation about honor-based oppression, an issue where I perceive that we in Sweden have come significantly further in our work than many other countries and where, from the Swedish side, we are happy to take the lead, for example by bringing such an issue up for discussion in the Nordic Council of Ministers. We also, as mentioned, have the UN initiative Generation Equality, where we have renewed our commitment. It is not just a paper that one has signed, but it is a commitment that means something and an initiative that makes a concrete difference.
We have had several debates here in this chamber regarding working from home in Sweden, but I cannot help but be somewhat astonished when I listen to the interpellator. It sounds to me as if she did not see the economic situation that prevailed when the government took office in October 2022. When we received government power, Sweden was precisely on its way into a recession with skyrocketing inflation. The work that the government has undertaken with a strong focus on combating inflation has been the absolute most important thing this government could do so that people, especially those who have the least money in their wallets, can manage on the money they have and so that the money does not lose value. It is concrete policy that supports those who need it the most and which makes a significantly greater difference than raising the child allowance.
Sofia Amloh (S)
Madam Speaker! Despite the fact that we hear about report after report and see how many hard-working women in Sweden are being brought to their knees, cannot make ends meet, and cannot manage to live on their wages, the Minister stands here in the chamber again and says with persistence that things have improved. Is that not out of touch with reality, for goodness' sake!
Madam Speaker! I do not actually doubt the Minister's intentions or, for that matter, ambitions. But with the Minister's approach comes a great responsibility to make a real difference in actual action. I still doubt, however, that it will happen both at home and globally when I see what policy has been pursued here at home. Women's empowerment is restricted by the fact that the government's economic policy drives women to become poorer and poorer. It makes it difficult for women to divorce and manage to live on their wages. Many women pay with their health. It is a high price. There we hear no answer from the Minister. It is hardly the case that the Minister wants to comment on that reality. I actually find that devastating.
It is about strengthening women's empowerment on a global level. The successful feminist foreign policy was abolished without being replaced by something that could measure up to it. EBA's evaluation has shown that the feminist foreign policy has played a significant role. This government is solely responsible, and accountability must be demanded, especially considering that the government gives promises that are not followed up with more or clearer policy than what we have seen.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Madam Speaker! We live in an economically difficult time, and we live in a time with a very serious security policy situation. When one finds oneself in such a time, it is unfortunately the case that people fare worse. As I said earlier, no crisis and no conflict is gender-neutral; those who are already vulnerable often fare even worse and are hit the hardest. This is of course something that the government needs to handle, but it is very dishonest to claim that it is the government that has caused the situation. We are faced with challenges and priorities in a completely different way than what has previously been the case.
Madam Speaker! I will conclude with another concrete example of what I and the government do when it comes to keeping the Swedish leadership flag high in the work for equality. In the delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women – we are leaving in the middle of March – I have included representatives from the organization Talita, which works with women vulnerable to prostitution. Together with Talita, I hope that we will be able to inspire and spread knowledge about the benefits of the Swedish law on sex purchases. It is a concrete measure. In this way, I believe that we in Sweden can act as role models globally and strengthen the rights and situation of girls and women in the world.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.