Defense Policy and Equality in Sweden

Host: WILPF Sweden

Open to: WILPF members only, WILPF members and invited guests

About: This session presents the findings of a report produced by WILPF Sweden (IKFF) examining how Sweden’s recent defense policy shifts — including NATO membership, the bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States, and a significant military build-up — affect gender equality. When Sweden applied for NATO membership and signed the DCA, the government claimed these decisions would have no consequences for gender equality. This report challenges that claim by analyzing the impact across three of Sweden’s national gender equality goals: equal distribution of power and influence; ending men’s violence against women; and economic gender equality.

Participants will gain insight into the Swedish context and how a feminist peace organization can use existing national gender equality frameworks as analytical tools to scrutinize defense and security policy. The session will cover findings such as how militarization concentrates decision-making power in male-dominated institutions, how military expansion risks increasing gender-based violence, and how rising defense spending disproportionately harms women through cuts to welfare and public services. The aim is both to share knowledge and to offer inspiration for how WILPF sections in other countries can develop similar approaches to holding their governments accountable on the intersection of militarism and gender equality.

Language: English; translated captions

How to participate: Get the Zoom link in the list of learning & exchange sessions available on the Congress page on myWILPF!

Questions? Contact desiree.sterner@ikff.se