The Swedish secret to a gender-equal parliament
Did you know Sweden has consistently had a gender-equal parliament (40 to 60% women) for 31 years – without legislating gender quotas?
How did they manage? Lenita Freidenvall, an expert on gender equality politics at Stockholm University, offers a combination of three factors to The European Correspondent. First, Sweden’s proportional representation electoral system gives political parties the flexibility to implement gender quotas and strategically position women on party lists – something many other electoral systems lack, making it harder for women to gain fair representation.
Second, Sweden has a high female employment rate. In 2023, 75.6% of women were employed, exceeding the EU average, which creates a larger pool of women likely to engage in politics. Finally, Sweden is one of the least religious countries in the world, and lower levels of religiosity correlate with more progressive gender norms.
Seven out of eight political parties have adopted their own strategies – ranging from quotas to recommendations – to increase female representation. In theory, the gender balance will remain as long as the norm to strive for balance exists. However, to ensure an equal number of women in parliament is guaranteed in the future, constitutional gender quotas should be implemented, argues Freidenvall.
Implementing that would be a challenge, since no party in Sweden wants a legislated gender quota. They think it’s a matter for political parties themselves to decide on. Some also use the well-known argument that gender quotas allow gender to trump competence. ”But it doesn't need to be like that. There are plenty of competent women,” says Freidenvall.
Finland caught up with Sweden following their election in 2007, which led 42% of the parliament to be women. Neighbouring Norway almost reached 41% in 2017, and Denmark only just caught up, crossing the threshold with 43,6% in 2022. Across Europe, the share of women in parliaments is on the rise, but there’s still a long way to go. No country has yet reached 50%, although Iceland is close, with 49.2% after the general election in November 2024.
The share of women in the Swedish parliament has increased gradually over the years, largely due to the persistent effort of women’s organisations and the broader women’s movement that have advocated both from within political parties and through external pressure.
However, surpassing the 40% threshold does not equal full gender equality. Sweden did not elect its first female prime minister until 2021, and current female parliamentarians report that the expectations placed on them are higher than those for their male colleagues.