Challenges and Possibilitiesfor Political Feminism:

The Case of SwedenLinnéa Bruno

Feministiskt initiativ

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Feminism – ”the missing dimension in an old political landscape”, our independent ideological point of departure.

Outline

Feminism today: a growing and vibrant movement. The end of the backlash?

Issues, strategies and successes of second and third wave feminism 1965-2000.

Women’s shelter movement Developments in Academia Activism: Cyber feminism and art State Feminism: Claiming political power Our allies Conclusion and discussion

Feminism today: a growing and vibrant movement. The end of the backlash?

No sign of a ’sterialized’ feminist ’movement without movement’ – quite the opposite:

Every day, truly feminist articles are published in newspapers and online magazines

Every week, a number of manifestations, seminars and conferences

Feminist issues are highlighted in public and private theatres and museums, comics, music, performance art etc

Second wave feminism in Sweden 1965-1980• The ”unhappy marriage” of marxism and feminism: critique of one dimensional class analysis•Radical feminism: domestic and sexual violence on the agenda•Childcare•Abortion and contraceptives•From 1975: the women’s shelter movement•From 1980: political backlash but academic progress

•Strategies:•Consciosness rising groups: ”The personal is political”•Demonstrations in the streeets•Separatism and emphasis on ”sisterhood”

Swedish second wave feminists claiming day care for all children and women’s liberation to be recognized as equally important to class struggle

Third wave feminism 1990-2000• A response to a decrease in female political representation•Debates on the challenges of diversity: ”identity politics”, queer and lesbian critique of ”sisterhood”•Feminst became a hip identity•Feminist self defence, hotlines and empowerment centers for young girls: demands on bodily integrity•Rise of state feminism: large governmental inquiries informed by feminist research•Gender mainstreaming – and backlash

• Several important reforms:• ”Daddy’s months” – towards equal parental responsibilities•A new crime: gross violation of women’s integrity •Criminalization of buying sex•Consensus in Parliament on gender equality as political goal

Fittstim – an influential collection of angry, sad and funny testimonies from young Swedish feminists of the 1990-ies.

Gender Equality – an explicit political goal in Sweden

”Women and men shall have the same power to shape society and their own lives”

Equal representation in private, public and civil sector

Economic equality throughout the life course

Equal distribution of unpaid domestic and care work

Ending of men’s violence against women

Current observations in Swedish feminist movement Cyber feminism:Young activists engage

in debates online, share articles, films and images.

Feminist page ”Supersnippan” has 36 000 likes on facebook - more than any political party.

Increased awareness of intersection sexism-racism-class oppression

Racialized feminists taking initiatives

Humour is an effective weapon

Activists dress August Strindberg in pink, as a protest against marginalization of female writers and artists.

Possible and actual allies

• Unions – especially for nurses, teachers and others working in female dominated and underpaid public sector•Ecologists/Green movement• Women’s shelter movement•Anti-military/Peace movement• Anti-racist organizations and Asylum right movement•Children’s rights movement•Organizations lobbying for rights of disabled people• LGHBTQ-rights organizations

Pride parade in Stockholm 2012

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Stockholm, October 2013: On our way to the Parliament, to deliver 13 political demands.

Conclusion and discussion State feminism has been succesful in many

respects – now is the time to step forward We are not demanding the right to exploit others

and the planet like men do – we are questioning that norm and order

Feminism is needed in Academia, civil society, arts as well as in political assemblies

Demanding gender equality and social justice implies taking ourselves seriosly, using the rights and scope for action we have – thanks to our forerunners

We owe it to our children

DON’T PANIC – ORGANISE!