Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

SamuelB

(87 posts)
Mon Mar 25, 2013, 10:31 PM Mar 2013

Has Swedish feminism gone too far?



In the gender equality stakes, Sweden is rated highly. But some Swedes feel it's being taken to extremes. It has the highest proportion of working women in the world and some two-thirds of university degrees are earned by women. New mothers and fathers both get generous parental leave.

Gender role neutrality initiatives, however, some feel are being exaggerated.

There's a politician who proposed that men should be required by law to urinate in a sitting position -- partly because it leaves toilets cleaner and promotes prostate health, partly as an appeal for reason.

That politician, Viggo Hansen, told us: "When my son was in kindergarten, they tried to force him to pee standing up, when we had taught him to pee sitting down. When the school let him sit down to pee, there was no problem. I had read about a school in Norway that officially banned boys' stand-up peeing. Lots of people's reaction was that was taking away boys' right to be boys."

Ann Helena Rudberg joined the feminist movement in the 1970s, to fight for women's rights because she saw her mother suffer violence at home. Today she argues women have equal rights and that feminist political parties are taking things too far.

Rudberg said: "It's a power struggle between men and women. And the effect of that is that on one side we have women and on the other side men. And this is not good for the children or for anyone."

At a school in Stockholm named 'Egalia', teaching gender equality is a priority. Boys and girls are encouraged not to be limited by stereotypical roles or games. And since last year, there is a new word in the Swedish dictionary: "hen", which is a neutral pronoun for "he" or "she". Not everyone agrees about that.

School director Lotta Rajalin said: "They think we are going to change girls to boys and boys to girls and that's of course not what we are doing. We like to give every human being the same rights, the same possibilities, the same responsibilities. And that is a question of democracy."

Some critics say Sweden's government is taking a feminist agenda to an almost radical level. Others who also take International Women's Day seriously say the fight for gender equality is far from over.


Source: euronews
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Has Swedish feminism gone too far? (Original Post) SamuelB Mar 2013 OP
I don't know, but those Norse women are sure getting uppity. bluedigger Mar 2013 #1
No. geek tragedy Mar 2013 #2
Thanks for taking the time theKed Mar 2013 #3
. geek tragedy Mar 2013 #4
. theKed Mar 2013 #5
Here's some Svensk Kvinnor (of recent fiction) longship Mar 2013 #6
"some critics say..." Quantess Mar 2013 #7
Teh league of oppressed menz nt geek tragedy Mar 2013 #8
Wasn't that suggestion universally laughed at, even in Sweden? Dash87 Mar 2013 #9
One guy goes off the deep end and "feminism" has gone too far? Lydia Leftcoast Mar 2013 #10
Sweden is a "perfect" target for reactionaries. Because it shows that progressive policies WORK. nomorenomore08 Mar 2013 #11

longship

(40,416 posts)
6. Here's some Svensk Kvinnor (of recent fiction)
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:55 AM
Mar 2013

Lisabeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) from Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy:


Irene Huss (Angela Kovács) from Helene Tursten's novels:


Maria Wern (Eva Röse) from Anna Jansson's novels:


Angela Kovács also played opposite Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander's boss in the Swedish Wallander series from Henning Mankell novels:

Henriksson as Wallander.

Indeed, women's rights are woven into Swedish culture. One sees it everywhere.

But given the Swedish title of Steig Larsson's first Lisabeth Salander book, Män Som Hattar Kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women), I suspect the Swedes have similar problems as most. But their culture sure looks like it has made the turn.

One can only hope.

Dash87

(3,220 posts)
9. Wasn't that suggestion universally laughed at, even in Sweden?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:38 PM
Mar 2013

That's the only evidence they can come up with too?

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Has Swedish feminism gone...