Gender and Public Policy or Thesis

Total Length: 839 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

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Their labor market position then becomes a matter of individual 'choice'....In Sweden, the definition of women's entitlements to welfare in family policies has changed dramatically since the early 1970s, away from the provision of benefits to them as mothers and toward benefits that they draw by virtue of their labor market status. Yet, paradoxically, the outcome of this shift has been the strengthening of policies that recognize women's needs as mothers. The framework of equal treatment on the basis of labor market participation supported by a full employment policy seems to have made possible the greater recognition of women's caring work in the family" (Lewis & Astrm 59).

In other words, Sweden is very permissive in granting paternal leave and day care to both parents, which benefits women, but men can also benefit from these policies, even though the greatest beneficiary of the policy may be women, as women have traditionally been pressured to be caretakers in the home environment. Originally, during the 1960s, Swedish social democracy operated on a 'difference' model, stressing that protections for women should be based upon their differences from men (Baxter & Astrm 64). But gradually, this changed, beginning with the introduction of separate taxation of husbands and wives, "first on a voluntary basis in 1968, and then in law in 1971. Separate taxation together with high marginal tax rates, makes it more favorable for family income for a woman to go out to work than for her husband to add extra overtime hours" (Lewis & Astrm 67).
Reflecting the change in taxation policy, in 1968, 5% of children under school age were in Swedish public daycare. In 1987 this figure had risen to 47%. Although not perfect, "Sweden is way ahead of the rest of Europe in its parental leave legislation," most feminists acknowledge (Lewis & 70). Today, Sweden has a large and vibrant feminist movement, although activists disagree whether working through the state government, local governments, emphasizing female's unique needs, or equality is the best method to adopt in sustaining female gains almost all praise Sweden's efforts to create a more female-friendly work environment, in comparison to the efforts of other Western nations (Gustafsson 58).

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