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At the request of the Swedish Delegation to the Council of Europe this memorandum gives an account of how issues relating to violence against women and the rights of the child have been dealt with by the political parties in the 2006 election campaign. The memorandum gives an account of the proposals presented by the parties during the 2006 election campaign on issues concerning violence against women and the rights of the child. It begins with a brief description of the relevant subject areas from a broader human-rights perspective, and of the selections and limitations that guided this report. There then follows an account in two sections of the parties’ political proposals; the first section covers issues relating to violence against women and the second issues relating to the rights of the child. The information is presented by party. Finally the parties’ initiatives in the relevant areas during the election campaign are described from a more overall perspective. The rights of women and children from a human rights perspective
Over the years, further special conventions have been drawn up. There are two kinds of special convention: those dealing with specific types of rights in greater depth and those reinforcing and clarifying the rights of certain groups in society, such as women and children. Reference has sometimes been made to several generations of human rights:
The UN has drawn up specific conventions on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (1979) and on the rights of the child (1989). These conventions are legally binding for the states that have ratified them, which means that the country is bound by international law to protect and promote the rights covered by the conventions. Sweden was the first country in the world to ratify the “Women’s Convention”, which means that it has pledged to take all appropriate measures to change existing laws, customs and traditions that involve discrimination against women and to modify social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudice and practices which are based on the idea that one sex is inferior to the other. In 1993, the UN General Assembly also adopted a declaration on the elimination of violence against women which, although not legally binding, is considered morally binding and is intended to reinforce the Women’s Convention, which does not explicitly cover the issue of violence against women. The declaration condemns physical, sexual and psychological violence against women, be it in the family, in society, or perpetrated or condoned by the State. It urges member states to condemn and to take measures to combat violence against women and not to invoke custom, tradition or religion to avoid their obligations in this respect. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is intended to serve as a guide for all decisions concerning children and young people. The Convention has four main principles:
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has led to several legal amendments, for example in the Swedish Parents Code, but the Convention has not been incorporated into Swedish law (Eklund 2004, p. 30). In May 2005, in connection with the third summit of the Council of Europe in Warsaw, a political declaration was adopted – the Warsaw Declaration – and an action plan setting out guidelines for the activities of the organisation in the next few years was agreed on. The action plan highlights various priority areas including measures to combat violence against women and the promotion of children’s rights. Selection and limitations
The “Almedalen week” (an annual event in early July when representatives of the political parties meet at Almedalen on Gotland to discuss politics) has often been regarded as the kick-off to the election campaign, even if “the party leaders and the parties’ campaign efforts tend to be concentrated to the last five weeks”, (Esaiasson 1990, p. 331). In the current memorandum the election campaign has been defined as the period between 2 July and 15 September 2006, i.e. the period during and after the Almedalen week up until the Friday immediately before the election.
In view of the problems of delimitation associated with this report, both in terms of the dividing line between the subject areas and in the selection of material, the authors do not claim to provide a comprehensive picture of the parties’ standpoints on these issues. The purpose is not, in other words, to examine or compare the politics of the different parties, instead it should be regarded as a number of cursory glimpses into the 2006 Swedish election campaign on the basis of the said subject areas. As regards the subject areas, only proposals directly concerning the current issues have been taken into account. On the subject of the rights of the child, the intention has therefore been to limit the selection to proposals explicitly based on the needs and rights of the child, rather than all proposals that may concern children. The question of which issues are to be regarded as being related to children can also be said to vary in the political debate and over time, which makes a definite delimitation impossible (Söderlind & Engwall 2005, p. 22). Issues relating to violence and women in the 2006 election campaign
In the Social Democratic Party’s election leaflet on gender equality, the party says that it wants to offer women who are the victims of violence better, more professional support and also to help to prevent men’s violence against women by providing greater support to women’s shelters. As part of the efforts to combat violence against women it also wants to fight prostitution, trafficking in human beings and sexualisation of the public arena (The Social Democratic Party 2006b). A few weeks before the election, five leading Social Democratic women launched a political initiative to “bring attention to the women’s perspective in the election campaign”. The initiative included the issue of protection of women against violence and at a press conference the Social Democrats repeated their promise of a substantial allocation of additional funds to women’s shelters, of promoting more stringent legislation to clarify the responsibility of the municipal social services vis-ā-vis women who are exposed to violence, and stressed the need for continued vigorous efforts to combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings. Other measures that were mentioned included the assignment of the task of drawing up methods for receiving and treating women who are exposed to violence to a newly-established national knowledge centre for issues relating to men’s violence against women at Uppsala University, and the launching at this centre of a national emergency telephone service for women exposed to violence. They also stated that they wanted to see the use of electronic tagging in order to ensure compliance with restraining orders (The Social Democratic Party, 24 August 2006). The Left Party
The Left Party also raises the issue of protection of women against violence from an international perspective in its election manifesto. It emphasises that one of the purposes of Swedish development assistance is to strengthen the position of women and girls and that, in its opinion, part of the assistance should be used to prevent and stop trafficking in human beings for purposes of prostitution. Asylum seekers who have experienced sexual exploitation or persecution on grounds of sex or sexual orientation should also be able to receive refugee status in Sweden (The Left Party 2006a). Two weeks before the election, the Left Party presented a package of measures aimed at women and children who have been exposed to violence. The Party established that it wants to set up a national commission of incident investigation to ensure systematic inquiries into all cases involving murdered women. This, it said, would help to generate vital knowledge, for example, about shortcomings in the efforts of public authorities (The Left Party, 31 August 2006, Svenska Dagbladet). The package of measures also contained several proposals concerning the way in which victims of violence are treated by social authorities and the judicial system. Among other things, the party wanted to introduce legislation that would give women and children who are exposed to violence their own contact persons in the police and social services, and to establish family violence units with specialised prosecutors throughout the country. It also stated that knowledge of violence in close relationships should be compulsory for staff in the judicial system, healthcare, schools and social services and, where appropriate, be included in the Examination Ordinance (The Left Party, 31 August 2006).
The Green Party
Two weeks before the election, the Green Party presented an action plan with a number of proposals for measures to combat men’s violence against women. It stated that the problem stems from the prevailing gender power structure and that it is necessary at a more overall level to counter a destructive masculinity through continued gender equality efforts. One of the concrete measures proposed is the use of electronic tagging on offenders who have received restraining orders so as to prevent violations (The Green Party, 30 August 2006). Several of the measures presented in the election manifesto are also set out in greater detail in the action plan. Among other things, the party states that it wants the compulsory treatment of convicted offenders to apply also to those serving a conditional sentence, the National Board of Health and Welfare to be given the task of providing municipalities with advice and instruction on dealing with violence in same-gender relationships, and the inclusion of ethical guidelines in connection with central government procurement and the granting of funding to NGOs in a forthcoming action plan to combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings (The Green Party, 30 August 2006). The party also declares in its action plan that it wants to continue to allocate special funds for sheltered housing and for the development of well-informed support for young victims of violence in the name of honour (The Green Party, 30 August 2006). The Moderate Party
During the election campaign, the Moderate Party’s legal affairs spokesperson Beatrice Ask commented on the increasing number of reports of violence against women, and on the fact that such a low percentage of these cases are cleared up. The Moderates want a national action plan to combat violence against women, more police officers and tougher penalties for assault, rape and gross violations of a woman’s personal integrity. At the same time Ms Ask emphasised that the party has no quick and simple solution to the problem, but that the judicial process as a whole has to be strengthened: “Women must be able to get through when they call the police, police officers must be available to respond to these calls, to carry out proper investigations and to offer protection, and the courts must not allow difficult cases to pile up.” The importance of cooperation between various authorities and organisations to combat violence against women was also emphasised (The Moderate Party, 28 August 2006).
Violence against women is mentioned in two election folders dealing briefly with gender equality policy and crime policy. The party emphasises that women who are exposed to violence must be offered greater protection and that there must be zero tolerance towards violence against women and trafficking. In addition to the concrete measures proposed in the election manifesto, the Liberal Party pledges increased support to women’s shelters and organisations working specifically to reach immigrant women (The Liberal Party 2006b, The Liberal Party 2006c). The Christian Democrats
In response to a question in the press on what the party intends to do about violence against women, Party Leader Göran Hägglund replies that, among other things, it wants police training to be improved so that the police are better equipped to document injuries and that the law be tightened so that electronic tagging can be used on persons convicted of assault and that restraining orders can be used more effectively. He also underlines the importance of working with attitudes and notes that violence is primarily a men’s issue “since we are the ones that have to change” (Expressen, 4 July 2006). In a comment on a study from Umeå University that reveals that men’s violence against women entails considerable costs to society, Deputy Chair Maria Larsson emphasises the importance of rehabilitation measures. She points out that the only way to reduce the costs of such violence in a long-term perspective – both financially and in terms of human suffering – is to reduce the number of relapses (The Christian Democrats, 26 July 2006). Two weeks before the election, the Christian Democrats presented an action plan for greater protection of women against violence. The list of measures includes demands that all municipalities should be obliged to provide resources for a women’s shelter and that a treatment programme for men convicted of violence against women be set up in every county. The party also wants it to be possible to provide men to whom a restraining order has been issued with electronic tagging. In order to curb honour-related violence, a number of integration policy measures are proposed with a focus on the family (The Christian Democrats, 3 September 2006). The action plan also lists several measures aimed at creating a safer, more efficient legal process for victims of violence, for example, that all cases of criminal injury are to be processed within three months, that the judicial authorities be obliged to inform victims of crime when offenders are granted leave or are released, that court premises are designed so that crime victims and witnesses need not confront the perpetrators, and that steps are taken to prevent the release of information about protected addresses in legal proceedings (The Christian Democrats, 3 September 2006). The list also includes proposals concerning more stringent legislation and interpretation of the law; the party wants to see a broader definition of rape that takes into account the victim’s vulnerability and wants the law to be clear in stating that a woman’s no to sex must always be respected. It also wants to examine the opportunities for prohibiting degrading advertising. The party urges for vigorous efforts to combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings both by means of more stringent legislation and through greater resources for care of victims. Victims of trafficking in human beings should, for example, be able to obtain a permanent residence permit and advance damages from the State (The Christian Democrats, 3 September 2006).
At the end of August, the Centre Party presented a separate action plan on preventing men’s violence against women. This plan states that violence against women is “the ultimate consequence of our unequal society” and that the most important task of our society is to stop the prevailing gender power structure. The action plan repeats and develops the measures presented in the election manifesto regarding better protection for women who are exposed to violence, increased knowledge on the subject of violence and a quicker, more secure legal process. Concrete proposals include the criminalisation of stalking, increased resources for women’s and men’s victim support groups and shorter processing times in cases involving women who have been threatened (The Centre Party 2006b, Dagens Nyheter, 23 August 2006). The action plan also emphasises “the crucial nature of preventive efforts”, the financially vulnerable situation of women, and that measures to combat sexual offences must be given priority. Preventive measures include proposals to extend the scope of the Act concerning Equality between Men and Women to the education sector, that state supervision of educational activities should include an examination of the use of discriminatory teaching materials in schools, and that security aspects should be a natural part of community planning (The Centre Party 2006b). In order to make it easier for battered women to break away from destructive relationships, the party also demands a total review of legislation relating to the regulation of private financial conditions between spouses and partners who live together. Typical examples of ways in which women are made subordinate to men via such legislation are the difficulties in being awarded damages and that banks can refuse the division of joint property upon separation (The Centre Party 2006b). With a view to boosting measures to combat sexual offences, the party wants it to be clarified that all sexual acts that are not based on consent are to be regarded as punishable offences, that everyone who in some way or another participates in rape can be sentenced for this offence, that the psychosocial environment for rape victims in the courtroom must be improved, and that anyone who spreads pictures or films of a sensitive nature electronically, without the consent of the individual depicted, should be sentenced for harassment (The Centre Party 2006b). The Alliance for Sweden
The manifesto announces that an Alliance Government will present an action plan to reduce violence against women which will include:
The alliance parties also want to reform the prevailing system of sanctions by conducting an overview of the application of existing scales of penalties. Among other things, they want to increase penalties for cases of assault, rape and gross violation of a woman’s personal integrity.
Feminist Initiative
In the run-up to the election, party representatives proposed that the police should have access to the PKU register (a collection of blood samples from newborn babies) to be able to trace sex offenders and to prevent further offences. They said that the crime victim perspective must have priority over personal integrity in such cases (Feminist Initiative, 11 August 2006). During the election campaign, Party Leader Gudrun Schyman voiced heavy criticism of the established Riksdag parties for their "flippant attitude towards the growing problem of men’s violence against women". She described this violence as the most destructive expression of the gender-based, unequal power structure and noted that it is a “total failure for democracy” that women cannot feel safe in public places or in their own homes. In the light of this, the party formulated a number of political demands to counter this violence:
In the debate, Ms Schyman also linked the question of violence against women to prostitution and pornography. With reference to research that shows that pornography is often used by perpetrators of sexual assault and by rapists to inspire rape, and that exposure to pornography increases aggressive attitudes and blunted feelings as regards violence against women, Feminist Initiative wants to see an extension of the Swedish Sexual Purchases Act to include the purchase of sexual services to make pornography, as well as a law that gives prostitutes the opportunity to demand damages from purchasers of sexual services and pimps. Such amendments would, says the party, help to combat violence against women (Dagens Nyheter, 25 July 2006). Issues relating to the rights of the child in the 2006 election campaign The Social Democratic Party
In the schools sector “the right of all children to good knowledge” is the basis of political proposals. For this reason the party’s view is that it is important to look after the needs of those schoolchildren who have the most difficult time at school; often these are children living is socially deprived areas. The general objectives for schools are an improved working atmosphere in the classroom and the introduction of a spirit of respect. In order to increase equality between schoolchildren, the party wants to increase supervision of independent schools and it takes a stand against religious independent schools. “The establishment of new independent schools must not lead to a deterioration of education for children in municipal schools or increased segregation”, the party writes in its election manifesto. The party also emphasises that “equal chances demand an unequal distribution of resources” (The Social Democratic Party 2006a). The best interests of the child, together with general welfare, serve as guiding principles for the Social Democratic Party’s family policy. The Social Democratic Party has been working towards a more stringent version of the Act prohibiting Forced Marriage and developing an action plan to combat genital mutilation. The Minister for Gender Equality Affairs, Minister for Integration Jens Orback and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Berit Andnor describe these phenomena as a form of “patriarchal repression that must be combated” (Dagens Nyheter, 15 July 2006). With these proposals, they want to safeguard the right of every child, regardless of nationality and culture, to his/her own body and to be able to choose his/her partner”. In the wake of the much-publicised murder of a young schoolboy, Bobby, a campaign called “Children are Right” was pursued together with the Youth Organisation of the Labour Movement (“the Young Eagles”), which aimed to manifest the common responsibility for the right of every child to a childhood without abuse, violation and violence. The party also issued the report “Children and Young People First”, a review of Social Democratic child and youth policy 1994-2004. The Left Party
On 1 September the party presented a report on child poverty in Sweden. The report includes a proposal to keep the child allowance unchanged for recipients of social benefits and to increase maintenance support for single mothers. Party Leader Lars Ohly has also called for free medicine for children up to 19 years of age, also with the objective of increasing economic equality between children (Dagens Nyheter, 19 August 2006). All in all, the Left Party sees cutbacks in the public sector and unemployment as the cause of increased disparities between children and is of the opinion that the situation for children in vulnerable environments has become even worse (The Left Party 2006a). As a step towards improving children’s rights, the party wants to give schoolchildren the opportunity to do their homework in school time and regulate the possibility for schools to give children homework tasks. “Children should also be entitled to regulated working hours”, says Left Party representative Rossana Dinamarca (Dagens Nyheter, 4 September 2006). The party is also of the opinion that grades are not a satisfactory instrument for learning. Instead of grades, the party wants to introduce certification that pupils have reached the knowledge goals set by the school. The party also wants to reduce the size of groups in schools and pre-schools while improving staffing ratios. The party also demands that schooling should be completely free of charge – in addition to lunch, library services, study visits and literature, it also wants to introduce free breakfast. It is also vital that pupils, staff and parents all feel involved in school activities. Schools should not only teach pupils democratic values and approaches but also apply them in practice (The Left Party 2006b). Parental insurance should, according to the party, be individualised. All children should be guaranteed the right to both of their parents (The Left Party 2006a). The Left Party has previously proposed that, in the case of custody disputes, children should be assigned a special children’s representative to deal with questions of custody, residence and access who should safeguard the children’s interests and base their judgments on the best interests of the child. The party has also contributed to an amendment of the Child Custody Act. The new legislation establishes that joint custody may not occur in cases where the woman and/or child has been exposed to violence by the man. The party announces that its intention is to follow developments regarding these amendments in order to ensure that they are really implemented. The Green Party
The Green Party also wants to give children more extensive political rights by reducing the voting age to 16 years of age. One of the reasons behind this is the change-over to four-year terms of office, which means that many young people can reach the age of 22 before they are allowed to vote for the first time (The Green Party, 1 September 2006). The party wants to introduce a form of compensation for parents who wish to work part-time during their children’s first three years. The idea is that this reform would reduce “working hours” for children at daycare (Dagens Nyheter, 6 October 2006). The situation of children must be the deciding factor for the planning and regulation of adults’ gainful employment. It is possible already for parents of small children to work 75 percent, but in the party’s view people with low salaries lack the opportunity to really make use of the legislation and reduce their working hours. The increase in child obesity is also regarded as an urgent problem that the party wants to prevent with measures aimed mainly at schools. More wholesome free food in school, more gymnastics on the timetable and improved traffic safety to enable walking and cycling to school are a number of proposals. The party further considers that the protection against marketing aimed at children should be reinforced. “Children should be protected against commercial exploitation in all environments”, writes the party (The Green Party, 14 September 2006). In its election campaign the Green Party has emphasised the importance of a more liberal education policy, in the meaning that it should be more tolerant and open to freedom of choice and diversity. It is important not to see pupil democracy as a contrast to order, peace and quiet in school. Cooperation between adults and children is seen as a more feasible approach than increased supervisory controls and discipline (Dagens Nyheter, 3 September 2006). The Alliance for Sweden
The second area for children’s rights that is given attention in the election manifesto is schools policy. “School plays a vital role for the opportunities available to every child in life” the Alliance parties write in their manifesto. It is important to work towards achieving “everybody’s right to a secure school environment”. Three points have been put forward to strengthen the right of children to knowledge and education: ˇ the reading, writing and arithmetic project;
The idea is that all pupils should be able to achieve good academic results, regardless of the parents’ social background. It is therefore important that schoolchildren and parents are not hindered from choosing the school that best suits the needs and interests of their children. With the reading, writing and arithmetic project they want to guarantee that all children will, at an early stage, acquire basic skills in school and prevent children from falling hopelessly behind in later grades. To give everyone a chance to reach the knowledge targets, they want to introduce grading, national tests and written assessments at an earlier stage. Furthermore, the parties want to give teachers and schools further powers to maintain a quiet and secure working atmosphere for schoolchildren and also to strengthen work on a core of basic values for schools. For those children who cannot continue with their ordinary schooling, individual solutions are required such as the development of apprenticeships (Alliance for Sweden 2006). The Moderate Party
The party wants to introduce a universally available pre-school from the age of 3 onwards, and a flexible age for entry into school from 5 to 7 years of age (Göteborgs-Posten, 30 August 2006). The idea is that it should be possible to adapt schooling individually according the level of maturity of each individual child and in this way provide all children with good conditions for their own learning (Göteborgs-Posten, 31 July 2006). It is also seen as paramount that children’s needs for support are catered for to a greater extent than is the case today. Fredrik Reinfeldt and Sten Tolgfors point out that the gap between low-achievers and high-achievers is increasing and that gaps in knowledge and learning difficulties are discovered too late. For this reason the Moderate Party wants to introduce a new training course for remedial teachers, clearer qualification requirements for teachers, more national tests earlier on, an amended Compulsory School Ordinance in which teachers and head teachers are entitled to decide on remedial teaching, and evaluation of the quality and the achievement of objectives of schools every third year (Dagens Nyheter, 17 July 2006). The Party also wants to implement a policy of zero tolerance towards bullying (Aftonbladet, 18 August 2006). The Liberal Party
Nyamko Sabuni, a member of the Riksdag, has argued in favour of a minimum age-limit of 15 for the wearing of veils, compulsory gynaecological examinations of girls, a ban on virginity testing (confirmation of a girl’s virginity has been known to be issued by welfare officers), a narrower definition of arranged marriages in the Aliens Act, the introduction of the concept of violence in the name of honour in the Swedish Penal Code, the criminalisation of child and forced marriages, a maximum amount for dowries and an extension and postponement of the statutory limitation period for genital mutilation. All proposals were based on the argument that human rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child must also include girls living in Sweden in what are known as “honour cultures” (Expressen, 17 July 2006). Ms Sabuni also presented the pamphlet “The girls we are letting down”, which discusses the background to these proposals. The party further states that children’s and young people’s mental health is a priority area. In late July, the party therefore presented the report “Improve healthcare services for children and young people” with proposals to increase resources for vulnerable children and young people. These included more community workers and support families, a one-month healthcare guarantee, treatment centres and proposed research investments. The total cost of these initiatives was estimated at SEK 250 million (Expressen, 23 July 2006). The Liberal Party has highlighted the need for a more peaceful classroom environment in various ways during the election campaign. This concept includes a zero tolerance policy towards bullying and greater opportunities for teachers to take disciplinary measures (TT, 20 August 2006). The party wants to place children’s statutory rights on an equal par with that of adults as regards violence and violations in schools (Sydsvenskan, 14 September 2006). In this context it also highlights the correlation between a disruptive school environment and poor knowledge levels. In the report “School for learning” the party argues in favour of increasing the amount of schoolwork and teaching hours in schools. A concrete proposal is the reading, writing and arithmetic guarantee, as mentioned in the presentation of the Alliance’s policies above. The Liberal Party also wants to give special status to Swedish as the most important school subject, to improve teacher training, to reduce absences by ensuring that truancies are reported directly to parents and to invest more in the supply of remedial teachers (Dagens Nyheter, 7 July 2006). Like the Social Democratic Party, the party wants to limit opportunities for the establishment of religious independent schools. The underlying reason for this is the right of the child to non-religious tuition. The party also wants to give children with disabilities greater freedom in choosing schools. Another group of children who are given special attention are “immigrant children”. With the purpose of preventing language problems from becoming an obstacle at school, the party wants to introduce regular controls of these children’s language development, more language pre-schools in segregated areas and to offer a supplementary programme with additional Swedish language tuition and information about Sweden (The Liberal Party 2006a). The Centre Party
In support of the Alliance’s “reading, writing and arithmetic guarantee” the Centre Party launches its “Vision 100%”, i.e. that no pupil should leave school without a set of basic qualifications. The party also mentions better school lunches and more sport as a precondition for learning and well-being among pupils. The party expresses its support for the Alliance’s problem definition and it calls for a more peaceful classroom environment, more supervision and the need for local decision-making in schools (The Centre Party 2006a). The Christian Democrats
During the election campaign, the Christian Democrats presented two reports on the situation of children: “A lawless country? A report on the importance of good values and adult responsibility” and “The forgotten children: an action plan for early discovery and prevention of abuse and for support to child victims". During the Almedalen week the party pledged – on the basis of these reports – the following changes in favour of children exposed to abuse: “to introduce a minimum level for the commitments a municipality has vis-ā-vis children at risk, to establish a national centre for children at risk [...] and to make the county councils into ombudsmen for children in care” (Swedish Save the Children). Another proposal targeted at children and young people who are feeling bad in some way is the establishment of health information points - places for easily accessible information about where to find someone who can listen. This may range from help in dealing with the death of a close relative to more advanced help for young people who use razors to injure themselves or who starve themselves (Göteborgs-Posten, 13 September 2006). In addition to the non-socialist alliance’s joint position on the reading, writing and arithmetic guarantee, more supervision and clearer involvement among parents, the Christian Democrats especially mention the need for clearer standards in schools. A core of values based on “Christian traditions and Western humanism are to permeate the work of all schools in the country” (The Christian Democrats 2006). A zero tolerance policy as regards bullying is also important in creating better conditions for children in schools. Feminist Initiative
Overall analysis of the 2006 election campaign:
The issues relating to violence against women that have been raised during the election campaign can be divided into four categories: street violence, violence in close relationships, violence in the name of honour and issues concerning prostitution and trafficking in human beings. An overwhelming majority of the measures and proposals presented concern violence in close relationships - family violence. Even if there are certain ideological differences regarding the causes of such violence, the parties are not too far apart when it comes to the description of today’s reality or in their proposals for measures. In Swedish political thinking, it has sometimes been said that there was somewhat of a change of approach in the mid-1990s as regards men’s violence against women. In that context the Commission on Violence against Women’s 1995 report Violence Against Women is considered to represent a shift in emphasis from a deviation perspective to a gender-power perspective. According to the gender-power perspective, violence is viewed in a cultural and social context and is interpreted in the light of the gender-based power structures that are considered to permeate our society. The deviation perspective, on the other hand, seeks explanations of violence in assumed deviations among the male perpetrators, e.g. biological, social, medical, situational or cultural deviations (see for example SOU 2004:121, Ch. 3 and SOU 2005:66, Ch. 2). If we relate the parties’ handling of issues relating to violence against women in the election campaign to these perspectives, it may be noted that several parties raise the issue as part of the larger issue of gender equality and existing structures in society. Their election manifestos all use a rhetoric that relates men’s violence against women to the exercise of power, albeit to varying extents. Traditional party-bloc differences are apparent to the extent that the gender-power perspective is clearer among the left-wing parties, which also influences the issues they raise and the measures they propose. Somewhat incisively it can be said that the left-wing parties often have a wider interpretation of the concept of violence than the non-socialist parties, for example, by raising issues relating to prostitution to a somewhat greater extent. The non-socialist parties, for their part, focus slightly more on police and judicial measures. As regards the occurrence of the deviation perspective, it can been seen most clearly in issues relating to violence in the name of honour which is, at least in part, ascribed to cultural deviations. There can be said to be relatively broad political agreement as regards measures to increase protection for women exposed to violence, for example, in the form of improved compliance with restraining orders through the use of electronic tagging and providing sheltered housing by assigning greater responsibility to the municipal social services. Matters relating to the way in which women exposed to violence are treated have also been raised by all parties across the political blocs. The left-wing parties especially emphasise how important it is that these women are treated with knowledge and respect by staff in the health services and various authorities, while the non-socialist parties tend to stress measures designed to create a shorter, more secure legal process. The fight against trafficking in humans, compulsory rehabilitation of perpetrators of violence and investments in the activities of women’s shelters have had broad political support. Examples of issues around which parties have established a special profile for themselves include the Green Party’s calls for greater attention to violence in same-gender relationships, and the Left Party’s international solidarity perspective which emphasises development assistance as a tool in measures to combat violence against women. It may also be noted that the Liberal Party, which has established a strong profile in the area of integration policy, draws special attention to the situation of immigrant women. Other expressions of creating a strong party political profile include the Christian Democrats’ emphasis of ethical measures, for example, its proposal for the establishment of a “Values Commission”, and Feminist Initiative’s ambition to redefine the established security concept. The rights of the child
All parties have considered it important to address the needs of vulnerable children. The concept of vulnerability has sometimes also been extended to cover a broader spectrum of circumstances including economic vulnerability, victims of bullying, alcohol or drug abuse or self-destructive behaviour. In close connection with the debate on vulnerable children, a number of parties have emphasised the importance of investments in psychiatric services for children and young people. Many parties have also highlighted the need for combating criminality among young people, but solutions and problem descriptions have varied between the political blocs and from party to party. All parties have expressed their support for the establishment of municipal “children’s houses” (BRIS, 5 July 2006). Children’s houses, which are currently being run on a trial basis in six parts of the country, are places where expertise is gathered under one roof to help children who have been abused or violated in some way (Eriksson et al. 2006, p. 121). Social workers, psychologists, doctors and police officers are able to cooperate in a single inquiry and can offer coordinated support, instead of having several different inquiries being run by different authorities. This, say the parties, increases quality and ensures that vulnerable children receive greater support. On other matters, traditional party bloc differences are more prominent. Children’s rights are highlighted more frequently as a form of individual rights for the individual child by the non-socialist parties. They want to create equal conditions for all children. In several of their problem descriptions and proposals, the Alliance parties, and in particular the Liberal Party, refer to children’s need for a non-disruptive school environment and their right to a better functioning education system. More overall supervision and grades from an earlier stage are two proposals that appear repeatedly. The Left Party and, in part, the Green Party have established a profile in the opposite direction, emphasising the right to regulated school times and less homework. The left-wing parties stress, to a greater extent, the need for greater economic equality between children as a matter of rights. The economic situation of children is addressed, primarily by the Social Democratic Party and the Left Party. They point out how inequalities in economic status may result in different preconditions for children from different social groups. The Moderate Party and the Alliance also point out that the education system has become poorer at compensating for socioeconomic differences, but its main concern is to create equal conditions despite these differences. There do, however, appear to be greater similarities between the party blocs as regards views on integration and asylum issues. Both the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party have highlighted the issue of girls with roots in honour cultures as an especially vulnerable group. They argue that special initiatives must be taken to give this group the same rights as other children and young people. The Green Party and Centre Party identify the children of asylum seekers as a group needing special support and say that, in many cases, their human rights are not fully recognised in Sweden. In summary it may be noted that matters relating to the basic principle in the Convention on the Rights of the Child that “not only the survival of the child but also its development - spiritual, moral, mental and social - must be secured” have received the greatest attention in the election campaign. These include proposals and measures designed to benefit vulnerable children and relating to education policy. A number of contributions concern the principle of the equal rights of all children and that no child should be discriminated against. Above all, these deal with integration and the problems associated with girls living in honour cultures, as well as the importance of equal opportunities for children with disabilities. The principle of the “best interests of the child” is also often mentioned in the parties’ descriptions of child-related issues. Most parties refer to this principle, but a concrete analysis of what actually constitutes the best interests of the child can give fairly different outcomes. Arguments in favour of both municipal child-care allowances (Christian Democrats) and individualised parental insurance (Left Party) can be based on the same principle. Few proposals during the election campaign have directly concerned the fourth basic principle in the Convention, stating that all children have the right to “express their opinions, and these opinions are to be given due weight in relation to the age and maturity of the child.” The non-socialist parties stress the importance of freedom of choice as regards choosing a school, but the only party to mention children’s political rights is the Green Party, which seeks to lower the voting age. References
Eklund, H. (2004), “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Children’s Procedural Position of the Child”, in Hollander, A, Nygren, R & Olsen, L (Ed.) Children and the Law, Justus förlag, Uppsala. Eriksson, M, Biller, H & Balkmar, D (2006), Men and violence – children’s experiences – A survey of interventions, knowledge and the need for change, Report, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications, Fritzes, Stockholm. Esaiasson, P. (1990) Swedish election campaigns 1866-1988, Allmänna Förlaget, Stockholm. Söderlind, I & Engwall, K (2005), What about the children? Children in politics, science and the daily press, Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm. Newspaper articles
Aftonbladet, 18 August 2006, “Zero tolerance policy towards bullying”. Dagens Nyheter, 7 July 2006, “Extend teaching times and give more homework”. Dagens Nyheter, 15 July 2006, “We are laying the ground for the criminalisation of children – and forced marriages”. Dagens Nyheter, 17 July 2006, “Train more remedial teachers for the weakest pupils”. Dagens Nyheter, 25 July 2006, “Pay damages to the victims of prostitution”. Dagens Nyheter, 19 August 2006, “Left Party wants free medication for children”. Dagens Nyheter, 23 August 2006, “Centre Party promises forceful measures to deal with men’s violence against women”. Dagens Nyheter, 4 September 2006, “Homework in focus when Left Party and Liberal Party meet for a debate”. Dagens Nyheter, 6 August 2006, “Green Party wants to give parents more time for their children”. Dagens Nyheter, 3 September 2006, “Liberal Party has hostile attitude to pupils”. Göteborgs-Posten, 31 July 2006, “Introduce apprenticeship training in secondary schools”. Göteborgs-Posten, 2 August 2006, “Offer free family counselling”. Göteborgs-Posten, 30 August 2006, “Non-socialist bloc wants earlier pre-school education”. Göteborgs-Posten, 13 September 2006, “Health information points for support and care”. Expressen, 4 July 2006, “The readers’ questions to Göran Hägglund”. Expressen, 17 July 2006, “Compulsory gynaecological examinations of girls”. Expressen, 23 July 2006, “Leijonborg wants better healthcare for children”. Kristdemokraten, 8 September 2006, “The people want a law on moral courage”. Svenska Dagbladet, 28 August 2006, “Children must come before work”. Svenska Dagbladet, 31 August 2006, “Political agreement on men’s violence”. Sydsvenskan, 14 September 2006, “Take problems in our schools seriously”. TT, 20 August 2006, “Schools and work central issues in the final stages of the election campaign”. Party material
The Centre Party, (2006a), “Contract. For more jobs, a renewal of the social welfare system and a good environment”, The Centre Party Election Manifesto 2006. The Centre Party, (2006b), “Action plan to stop violence against women”. Feminist Initiative, 11 August 2006, “Trace rapists using the PKU register”, press release. Feminist Initiative, (2006), Election Manifesto for Feminist Initiative 2006. Feminist Initiative, 29 August 2006, “Take men’s violence seriously!”, press release. The Liberal Party (2006a), “A social-liberal model in the age of globalisation”, The Liberal Party Election Manifesto 2006. The Liberal Party (2006b), “Equal conditions for women and men”, Election folder. The Liberal Party (2006c), “Early and decisive measures against crime”, Election folder. The Christian Democrats (2006), Election Manifesto 2006. The Christian Democrats 26 July 2006, “Ensure that violent men receive rehabilitation”, press release. The Christian Democrats 3 September 2006, “Move from words to deeds!”, press release. The Green Party (2006), “A greener Sweden! – for a better quality of life”, Valmanifest 2006. The Green Party, 30 August 2006, “Men’s violence against women – an action plan for change”. The Green Party, 1 September 2006, “The Green Party welcomes the Youth Association of Swedish Save the Children’s campaign to lower the voting age”, press release. The Green Party, 11 September 2006, “More time for our children”, http://mp.se/templates/template_83.asp?number=114895. The Green Party, 14 September 2006, “Children in apathetic situations in various countries”, press release. The Green Party, 14 September 2006, Proposal from the Green Party for measures to fight obesity in children, http://mp.se/templates/template_83.asp?number=115846 The Moderate Party (2006) Election Brochure. The Moderate Party, 5 June 2006, “Children who are abused have a low status”, press release. The Moderate Party, 28 August 2006, “There is no quick fix – but the judicial process must be strengthened”, press release. The Social Democratic Party (2006a), Election Manifesto 2006. The Social Democratic Party (2006b), Election Leaflet – Gender Equality. The Social Democratic Party 24 August 2006, “Women as builders of social welfare”, http://www.socialdemokraterna.se/Templates/Page____50640.aspx. The Social Democratic Party, 30 August 2006, Children and young people first, report. The Left Party (2006a), “Work. Democracy. Justice”, The Left Party’s Election Platform 2006. The Left Party (2006b), “14 steps towards equivalent standards in schools”. The Left Party, 31 August 2006, “Fight men’s violence against women and children”. Government Commissions of Inquiry
SOU 2005:66 The power to shape society and one’s own life – gender equality policy towards new objectives, Commission of inquiry on Gender Equality Policy, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications, August 2005. Laws, conventions etc.
UN (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child UN (1993) Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women SFS 1974:152 The Instrument of Government. Miscellaneous
Council of Europe (2005), Third summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, Action Plan, Warsaw, 16-17 May 2005. Swedish Save the Children, http://www.rb.se/sv/valet2006/Kristdemokraterna.htm. |
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