What does gender equality mean?

Gender equality means that women and men have the same rights, obligations, and possibilities in life. Gender equality is a political goal in Sweden, which means that women and men should have the same power to shape society and their own lives.

Why is it important?

It is essentially about democracy. Gender inequality leads to neither men nor women getting the opportunity to fully live their lives. It affects health both mentally and physically, and it has an effect on society in general.

Studies show that gender-equal organisations that also have gender-equal boards of directors, enjoy higher profits. They are more productive and have a better job satisfaction too. One reason is that the more perspectives and experiences that are represented, the greater is the chance of being able to handle different challenges.

Higher profits and increase in turnover with a gender-equal board (ackordscentralen.se) (in Swedish)

A few examples

• Sweden has come far when it comes to gender equality, but is far from gender-equal. One example is that women take 70% of parental leave, while men only take 30%. This means that women fall behind in their careers and salary progressions, while men miss out on precious days with their children.
• In venture capitalism, women are behind only 2.4% of the investments. What is prioritised and developed is what men think is important. Society is also missing out on potential innovation and growth.
• In Sweden, there is still no legislation stating that women and men should have equal pay for equal work. Women make in average about 90% of what men make. That is a great difference during a lifetime, a difference that also affects the pension.
• Men represent 70% of all suicide in Sweden. Destructive norms regarding manliness, like “a real man should not show emotion”, make a lot of men avoid asking for help when they feel bad.
• Women still do the largest share of the unpaid work at home, like taking care of children, washing, and cooking. Similar tendencies exist in the workplace, where a lot of the “unpaid work” is done by women. Check out the lists at osynligtarbete.se (in Swedish) and think about if you want and can change something to create a more equal distribution of the unpaid work at home and at work.
  
• The highest corporate positions as CEO and Deputy CEO are often held by men, while women have positions in administration. This means that the great financial decisions are made by men from their perspective and experience.

How to start changing

Educate and create awareness

The first step to create a change is to understand why it is necessary. Start by making all employees aware of the importance of gender equality and its benefits for the business. It is important that everyone understands the problems with gender-unequal workplaces and the significance of working towards gender equality.

Include work on gender equality in your strategies

Let it be an important policy that permeates the entire business. The policy can contain equal pay for equal work, parental leave, flexible working hours, and a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and discrimination.

Broaden the recruitment

Are there really not any female web developers or male nurses? Or are you looking in the wrong place? It can be quite homogeneous in your own network. Take a step outside it, ask others, and try new paths.

Improve leadership development

Why not offer mentoring and training to promote career opportunities? Make sure that the underrepresented group has access to the same development possibilities as the other.

Parental leave and flexibility

Have the same expectations on men as on women when it comes to parental leave and child care. Every parent in Sweden has a right to half of the parental leave, so encourage first and foremost men to take that opportunity. If possible, offer flexible working hours, so not just one parent has to pick up from pre-school and care for sick children.