Swedish Social Partners Take on Gender Equality on the Labour Market

• Sweden is one of the most gender-equal countries in the world (EIGE 2020). However, the labour market still suffers from sexual division of labour, pay gap, sexual harassment and work/family-conflicts (cf. SCB 2020). Swedish social partners, Trade Unions and Employer Organisations, have vast autonomy in regulating conditions at the labour market, not least through collective bargaining and agreements, but in other collaborative arenas as well (e.g. Kjellberg, 2019; Larsson & Ulfsdotter Eriksson, 2019). Still, the Swedish Women's Lobby criticized the labour market partners for not using these arenas as a platform for addressing gender inequality, and more purposeful confront inequalities in agreements and other collaborations. Also, Briskin and Müller (2011) appointed social dialogue as a beneficial arena to address gender equality. Danieli (2006) arguedt hat gender relations have been sidestepped, not only by IR researchers but within the Industrial relation-work and agenda as well. This paper investigates the articulation of gender equality on labour market matters and aims to explore how Swedish Trade Unions and Employer Organisations address gender equality issues. The empirical data consist of social partners public debate articles in media and public statements from social partners websites. The analysis is guided by Bacchi’s (1999; 2009; cf. Röbblom and Sandgren 2015) critical approach to policy and revolve around questions such as: How is gender equality addressed by social partners and do statements differ depending on actor and role?; What assumptions of gender relations underlie the approach to gender equality?; and How can social partners articulation explain the production and reproduction of gender relations on the labour market.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Sociology

Sociologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)