How can cities develop solutions to pressing global challenges? That’s the question this year’s Pritzker Forum on Global Cities, being held in Chicago from Wednesday through Friday, seeks to answer through cross-sector dialogue about the role of cities in solving critical global challenges.
As Sweden’s ambassador to the United States, I am honored to have been invited to participate in a panel, “When women lead,” to talk specifically about how the representation of women in decision-making positions influences urban development and planning while addressing the challenges global cities face. As a Swede, I am also delighted to be back in the Chicago area, which is one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish heritage in the United States. More than a quarter million people claim Swedish heritage in Illinois.
Women leadership and gender diversity is not only important to me personally. In 2014, as the first country in the world, Sweden declared itself a feminist government with a feminist foreign policy. Sweden’s feminist foreign policy is a response to the discrimination and systematic subordination that still mark the daily lives of countless women and girls around the world. A feminist foreign policy offers a vision for the future where women and men are truly equal and free to live their lives as they choose. The focus of Sweden’s feminist foreign policy is to increase the three "Rs": rights, representation and resources for women and girls around the world.
When it comes to political representation, 12 out of 23, or 52%, of Swedish cabinet members are women, and 46% of parliamentarians are female. It’s also very encouraging to see that the number of women in the Illinois General Assembly is steadily increasing, 64 women now, which is up from 62 women two years ago, and that all three citywide elected positions are held by women with the election of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and City Clerk Anna Valencia.
Even though we have come a long way, we still have challenges in Sweden. Women do more of the unpaid household work, assume the main responsibility for children and the elderly, and spend more time on parental leave than men. When weighing in factors such as education, age, profession, sector and hours of work, the pay gap between men and women persists at a nagging 5% (11% without weighing factors). Comparatively few women rise to senior positions in academia and the Swedish private sector. For example, less than 10% of CEOs of companies listed at the Swedish stock exchange are women. The #MeToo movement demonstrated that sexual harassment is common in Sweden too. These challenges show that the fight for gender equality is ongoing and never ending — also in Sweden.
Today Sweden is ranked by Eurostat as the most gender-equal country in the European Union and among the top three most gender-equal countries in the world by the World Economic Forum.
Just like the state of Illinois, the Swedish government is a strong advocate for sexual health and reproductive rights. Women must be able to decide whom to marry, whom to have sex with and when to have children. Investing in women’s right to decide over their own body is both the right and the smart thing to do. Such investments empower women economically and enhance economic growth. Sweden currently has the highest female labor participation ever recorded in the EU (80%). Working women have contributed not only to Sweden’s high and sustained economic growth over time but also to the generation of taxable incomes that support the generous Swedish welfare system, which in turn supports both working women and men.
The Swedish government strongly believes that gender equality benefits everyone, including boys and men. Research shows that gender-equal societies enjoy better health, stronger economic growth and higher security. Research also demonstrates that companies with a high degree of diversity are more profitable.
Stereotypical masculinity norms prevent men and boys from fulfilling their full potential. Violence against women decreases when cultural norms about masculinity change. Children all over the world would benefit from having more engaged and active fathers. As the first female ambassador of Sweden to the United States, I welcome collaboration with the state of Illinois to promote gender equality and to break glass ceilings, at home and around the world.
Karin Olofsdotter is the Swedish ambassador to the United States.