Gender equality and liberal individualism: A critical reading of economist discourse in Sweden

Sweden represents an interesting paradox in regards to egalitarian matters. It is considered one of the most egalitarian countries in the world, with strong norms about gender equality, and repeatedly ranks favourably and near the top of various measures of gender equality (e.g., Hausmann, Tyson, & Zahidi, 2012). There is a higher educational attainment for women than men, extensive legal and financial support surrounding parental leave for both women and men, and women’s labour force participation is almost as high as that of men. Still, many more women work part-time, and the labour market is highly segregated into typically male and female work-sectors (Statistics Sweden, 2012). Women are underrepresented as managers in both the public and private sector, that is, there are higher proportions of female employees than managers in both sectors. Currently, women represent 64% of the managers in the public sector and 28% in the private sector (Statistics Sweden, 2012). International comparisons concerning such statistics must be interpreted with caution. However, as evidenced by Swedish women’s representation in the workplace, it is possible to discern that Sweden has not fulfilled its own aspirations to reduce gender segregation in the labour market more generally, and of closing the gender gap in workplace authority more specifically (e.g., Bridges, 2003; Franco, 2007). This lack of progress may be viewed as a paradox considering the country’s strong emphasis on gender equality, with laws and regulations governing equality in many aspects of society, including for Scandinavian Journal of Management (2014) 30, 306—316