Gender equality paradox: Why Swedish women still face intimate partner violence
A new study of 23 Swedish women reveals that intimate partner violence persists even in one of the world's most gender-equal countries—affecting earnings, work, money management, and decision-making power. The finding challenges assumptions that legal equality automatically prevents abuse and suggests policymakers must address hidden power imbalances within relationships, not just workplace or structural gaps.
Originaltitel: Complex Expressions of Power: Aspects of Gender in/Equality in Violent Intimate Relationships in Sweden
<p>Despite high country-level gender equality, intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is common in Sweden. In discussion about this apparent paradox, the complexity of gender in/equality has been highlighted. Drawing on the domains considered in the EIGE gender equality index (work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health), and based on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 23 women exposed to IPVAW, this study investigates experiences of different aspects of gender in/equality in violent partnerships. The violence was described as having influenced and involved all these domains of life. We conclude that gendered power dynamics remain central to IPVAW in Sweden.</p>