The F!ght for Equality in Sweden

I've spent this semester in Sweden taking a number of courses, including one about the role of women in Swedish society. I'm currently wrapping up my final paper about the Feminist Initiative (F!), and it's all so incredibly interesting that I thought I'd share a little bit with you all.

For those of you who do not know, F! is the feminist political party in Sweden. It was founded in 2005 and has participated in several elections. While Sweden has had a history of progressive policy with regards to gender, this party feels that the country needs a party that puts women and feminism first.



Don't you just get shivers thinking about it? I mean, Jane Fonda and Eve Ensler publicly supported it. Well, hold your horses. While F! was predicted to fare well in their first election, they fell short receiving significantly less than the 4% of the votes necessary to win a seat in the Parliament. Many feel that the internal struggles and negative coverage from the media hurt their chances. It also led to several of the founding members leaving the party.

I was really interested in looking at the party because the thought of a strong political party that is dedicated to feminism sounds absolutely wonderful to me. It just seems like such a giant step forward. But, as I have read articles and looked at the reactions to F! in Sweden it only increased my awareness of the overwhelming pervasiveness of misogyny and anti-feminist sentiment in the world, however subtle it may be. I would encourage everyone to learn more about the party because in doing so, I have learned a lot not only about the current feminist movement in Sweden but also about activism and the long road ahead.