#ExcavationInProgress – Insights and Experiences of Sexism and Sexual Harassment from Gender Equal Sweden

From the outside, Sweden is often hailed as a leader in gender equality politics and policies. Our parental leave policies are among the most generous in the world (with 480 paid days per child to be shared by both parents), the representation of women in politics (43.6% of the Swedish parliament in 2017)2 and in leadership positions on the boards of state authorities and national politics is close to equal (Regeringskansliet i Sverige 2018), and at 78%, Sweden has the highest employment rate of women in the EU. Given this track record, it could easily seem as if we do not have a problem with sexism in the workplace. Perhaps it is because of this seemingly gender equal reputation that the #MeToo movement came as a surprise to many in Sweden as testimonies were made public in a series of articles in November 2017. In Sweden the #MeToo movement was primarily approached as a workplace and labour law issue, focusing on how sexism and sexual harassment affected the professional experiences and opportunities for women in different fields. Women and gender non-conforming individuals in different professions, including physicians, lawyers, university employees, journalists, actors, politicians, police, etc., organised in sector specific calls that all testified to systemic sexism and sexual harassment across Swedish workplaces. To some, in particular to many men, this came as a complete surprise, while many women and gender non-conforming individuals felt that their reality finally was given a voice.