Gender Equality

The plan affirms that Sweden should increase aid and that the party is feminist and anti-racist, which directly supports the requirement that a gender equality perspective shall take effect in aid. Support for women's organising, political participation and protection against gender-related violence is exactly the kind of solidaristic measure the plan wants to see. The committee's reasons - that a broad reform agenda is already sufficient - are not touched by the plan.

• increased aiddecisive»Sverige ska öka biståndet, stärka FN och skriva under kärnvapenkonventionen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should increase aid, strengthen the UN and sign the nuclear weapons convention.”
• solidaristic aid»Vi vill att Sverige verkar för skuldavskrivning,« (party programme ↗)“We want Sweden to work for debt relief,”
• reduce global inequality»I en rättvis värld måste den globala ojämlikheten kraftigt minskas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a just world, global inequality must be greatly reduced.”

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The plan establishes a feminist foreign policy focused on women's rights and states that girls' and women's rights must be strengthened globally. Aid shall prioritize women's and children's rights, combat poverty and strengthen democracy. The counter-proposal's requirement for a systematic gender equality perspective and support for women's organizing is precisely what the plan requires.

• feminist foreign policydecisive»Feministisk utrikespolitik med fokus på kvinnors rättigheter« (party programme ↗)“Feminist foreign policy focused on women's rights”
• global women's rights»Flickors och kvinnors rättigheter måste stärkas globalt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Girls' and women's rights must be strengthened globally.”
• gender equal aid»Fattiga människors perspektiv och kvinnor och barns rättigheter ska vara i centrum.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The perspective of poor people and the rights of women and children shall be at the centre.”
• solidary aid policy»Solidarisk biståndspolitik för att bekämpa fattigdom, minska klyftor, stärka demokratin« (party programme ↗)“Solidary aid policy to combat poverty, reduce gaps, strengthen democracy”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan explicitly states that Sweden shall conduct and strengthen a feminist foreign and development policy that defends women's rights and strengthens women's and girls' economic self-determination. The counter-proposal demands that the gender equality perspective is restored in aid, with support for women's organising, political participation and protection from gender-related violence. That is precisely what the plan commits to.

• feminist foreign policydecisive»utveckla och förstärka Sveriges feministiska utrikes- och utvecklingspolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop and strengthen Sweden's feminist foreign and development policy.”
• women's economic self-determination»Sverige ska bedriva en feministisk utrikespolitik som försvarar kvinnors rättigheter och stärker kvinnors och flickors ekonomiska egenmakt och roll som förändringsaktörer.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall conduct a feminist foreign policy that defends women's rights and strengthens women's and girls' economic self-determination and role as agents of change.”
• aid strengthens women»Svenskt bistånd har gjort stor skillnad i många länder och ger flickor och kvinnor bättre förutsättningar att få bestämma över sina liv och sina kroppar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish development aid has made a great difference in many countries and gives girls and women better conditions to decide over their own lives and their own bodies.”
• women's participation in peace work»Att involvera fler kvinnor direkt i utvecklings- och fredsarbete har positiva effekter för hela samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Involving more women directly in development and peace work has positive effects for the whole of society.”

The party programme states that the Centre Party is a feminist party and that violence and violations of women's bodily integrity must never be accepted, whether it occurs in Sweden or in other countries. The programme particularly highlights women's own subsistence in poor countries as a success factor. The counter-proposal's demand for a systematic equality perspective in aid, support for women's organizing and protection against gender-related violence thus lies in line with the plan.

• feminist basic approachdecisive»Centerpartiet är ett feministiskt parti, som utmanar och bryter rådande maktförhållanden och kollektiva orättvisor.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party is a feminist party, which challenges and breaks existing power relations and collective injustices.”
• women's rights globally»Det gäller oavsett om det sker i Sverige eller i andra länder, och inte minst när det används som vapen i krig och konflikter.« (party programme ↗)“This applies regardless of whether it occurs in Sweden or in other countries, and especially when it is used as a weapon in wars and conflicts.”
• women's economic self-sufficiency»att människor i fattiga länder, särskilt kvinnor, får möjlighet« (party programme ↗)“that people in poor countries, especially women, get the opportunity”
• strengthened female self-empowerment»Vi ska stärka kvinnors trygghet och egenmakt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall strengthen women's safety and self-empowerment.”

The party programme explicitly requires that development policy be reformed with a focus on democracy, gender equality and reduced corruption, and that gender equality and sexual and reproductive health be prioritized in aid. The counter-proposal's demands for a systematic gender equality perspective, support for women's organizing and open reporting are exactly what the plan promises. Broad general support without a gender equality profile does not respond to the commitment.

• gender equality drives aiddecisive»Den svenska biståndspolitiken måste genomgå stora reformer med fokus på demokrati, jämställdhet och minskad korruption.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish development policy must undergo major reforms with a focus on democracy, gender equality and reduced corruption.”
• gender equality prioritized in aid»Därför ska bistånd till demokratiserande krafter, institutionsbyggande, korruptionsbekämpning och rättsstatliga strukturer samt jämställdhet« (party programme ↗)“Therefore aid to democratizing forces, institution-building, anti-corruption and rule-of-law structures plus gender equality”
• action against women's oppression»Politisk ofrihet, förtryck av kvinnor, trakasserier av minoriteter, svält och undernäring, mödradödlighet, infektionssjukdomar, brist på skolgång och sjukvård bjuder varje liberal till handling.« (party programme ↗)“Political unfreedom, oppression of women, harassment of minorities, starvation and malnutrition, maternal mortality, infectious diseases, lack of schooling and healthcare call every liberal to action.”
• open reporting of aid»Samtidigt finns i dag allvarliga problem med bristande öppenhet och korruption med svenska biståndspengar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time there are today serious problems with lack of openness and corruption with Swedish aid money.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme explicitly establishes that women's situation shall be prioritised in development cooperation and that gender equality is both a goal and a means in aid, as well as that the gender equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas. The counter-proposal's requirement for a restored gender equality perspective with support to women's organizations and participation follows directly from these commitments. The requirement for open accounting is supported by the plan's requirement for independent evaluations.

• women prioritised in development aiddecisive»Därför ska kvinnors situation prioriteras i utvecklingssamarbetet.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, women's situation shall be prioritised in development cooperation.”
• gender equality as goal and means»Att främja jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män samt att förbättra kvinnors villkor är både mål och medel i detta arbete.« (party programme ↗)“Promoting gender equality between women and men and improving women's conditions are both a goal and a means in this work.”
• gender equality in all policy areas»Jämställdhetsperspektivet ska genomsyra alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“The gender equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas.”
• open monitoring of aid»Oberoende utvärderingar av biståndet ska ske.« (party programme ↗)“Independent evaluations of the aid shall take place.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan wants to make aid narrower and smarter and direct it to countries and thematic areas where it does the most good, and increase the humanitarian share. The counter-proposal builds instead on a certain share of aid having gender equality as a main or secondary purpose and wants to broaden the amount of thematic earmarks. The plan rejects that outcomes are measured in such share targets.

• focused and narrower aiddecisive»Fokusera det svenska biståndet till de länder, organisationer och tematiska områden där det gör störst nytta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus Swedish aid to the countries, organizations and thematic areas where it does the most good”
• humanitarian priority»Öka andelen humanitärt bistånd i den svenska biståndsbudgeten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the share of humanitarian aid in the Swedish aid budget”
• individual before collective»Fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer och aldrig« (party programme ↗)“Rights belong to individuals and never”
• democracy and HR prioritized»Prioritera insatser som stödjer arbetet för demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize measures that support work for democracy and human rights”

The plan wants to drastically reduce international aid and focus it on humanitarian disaster aid, and rejects in principle political measures aimed at equal outcomes between the sexes at the group level. The counter-proposal's requirement for a systematic equality perspective with an increased share of equality-focused aid thus goes against the plan's direction. That the plan simultaneously wants to improve the life situation of vulnerable women makes the assessment uncertain.

• humanitarian disaster aiddecisive»Fokusera biståndet till humanitärt katastrofbistånd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus aid on humanitarian disaster aid”
• formal not outcome-based equality»Riktig jämställdhet nås inte genom att vidta politiska åtgärder för att på gruppnivå skapa samma utfall mellan män och kvinnor, utan genom att ta krafttag mot samhällsfenomen som begränsar den enskilde.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“True equality is not achieved by taking political measures to create the same outcome between men and women at the group level, but by taking decisive action against social phenomena that limit the individual.”
• reduced aid»Överlag måste det internationella biståndet kraftigt minska och insatserna effektiviseras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Overall, international aid must be drastically reduced and efforts made more efficient.”
• vulnerable women's life situation»Sverigedemokraterna vill att biståndet fokuseras kring direkta insatser för att tillgodose grundläggande behov och insatser vid katastrofer och krig och i övrigt för att förbättra utsatta barn och ansatta kvinnors livssituation i fattiga eller förtryckta delar av världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want aid to be focused on direct initiatives to meet basic needs and measures for disasters and war and otherwise to improve the life situation of vulnerable children and at-risk women in poor or oppressed parts of the world.”