According to the Swedish policy for equality, women and men should have the same opportunities to achieve economic independence through gainful employment and parents should be able to combine work with parental responsibilities. To reach these goals, an active work is continously being undertaken in order to improve women's conditions in the labour market and to strenghten their economic situation. Measures already taken have contributed to women being increasingly less dependant on a man for their support. Sweden is today a two-bread-winner-society. Most Swedish women work, also those with small children. Women's entrepeneurship is increasing. A higher proportion of men take parental leave. Nevertheless, much remains to be done before full equality in the labour market and the economy prevails.
Measures 1995 - 1997
* In accordance with paragraph 164 of the PFA, the National Audit Bureau has been assigned to analyse all labour market policy measures from a gender perspective. The report is expected at the end of 1997.
* The Government has charged the National Labour Market Administration with the task of integrating a gender perspective in its work to carry out the national labour market policy. One important task in this respect is to break down the sex-segregation of the labour market, to which the Administration has special funds at its disposal.
* In 1995, the Goverment appointed the Commission on the distribution of economic power and financial resources between women and men. The aim of the Commission's work is to aquire and present further knowledge on how the economic policy affects the situaiton of women and men respectively, to make differences in economic and financial conditions between women and men visible and to propose measures in this field. The Commission has already presented several studies. It's final report is due at the end of 1997.
* In 1996, the Government presented a Bill to Parliament concerning employment. The Bill, which was adopted by Parliament in the spring of 1997, contained several measures which will improve the situation of women in the labour market, inter alia, investment in education and training, several measures in order to meet the Government's goal of halfing open employment by the year 2 000, improved conditions for women entrepreneurs, etc.
* In 1996, the Ministry of Labour initiated a 2-year project within the Ministry, with the aim of elaborating methods and gaining increased knowledge on ways and means to eliminate differences between women and men in the labour market and in working life.
* The budget of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, who has the task of supervising compliance with the Equal Opportunities Act, was substantially increased as of 1997.
* The Institute for Working Life has received funds for a 3-year research-project on pay differentials between women and men and work evaluation.
* The Government is continously pursuing an active dialogue with the social partners concerning pay differentials between women and men. To this end, the Government, in 1996, invited the social partners to attend a hearing on the issue.
* The Government has made funds available for the improvement of the offcial statistics on pay, so that the statistical indicators, better than today, can form the basis for enhanced analyses of women's and men's pay.
* In 1995, private industry in Sweden created a "Business leadership Academy" with the aim of supporting and promoting women entrepreneurs. The Government provided initial financial support for the Academy.
* The Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development is conducting several activities with the aim of supporting women entrepreneurs.
Continued measures
* To strengthen the position of women and to break the sex segregation in the labour market are issues which are continously in the forefront in the Swedish labour market policy, in particular in the work to half the open unemployment by the year 2000 and to increase employment for all. Measures are thus being taken on a regular basis.
* The National Labour Market Board has been charged with the task of reporting, by the end of 1997, measures taken in order to counteract the sex segregation of the labour market and in particular to analyse the impact of earlier measures in this respect.
* Continued attention will be paid to gender-based pay differentials, and the dialogue with the social partners on these issues will be further developed.
* When the final report of the Commission on the distribution of economic power and financial resources between women and men is available, by the end of 1997, the Government will consider further measures to strenghten the position of women in the economy.
* The Government will propose a strengthening of the provisions in the Equal Opportunities Act relating to sexual harassment in the work place.
