Here you read about human rights and how Sweden protects women, children and minorities from violence and discrimination.
Rights for everyone
The idea behind human rights is simple: all people have the same rights. According to the fundamental law regeringsformen (the Instrument of Government), the public sector, for example the state and the kommuner (municipalities), must work for equality and against discrimination. To discriminate means to treat someone worse than others.
After the Second World War, in 1945, 51 countries founded the United Nations (UN). In 1948 came the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with 30 rules called articles. According to it, everyone is born free and has equal worth and rights.
Everyone has the right to live without violence, to say what they think, and to choose their religion or none at all. They also have the right to work, rest, holiday and education. Anyone whose life is in danger has the right to flee and seek asylum, that is, protection, abroad. No one may be discriminated against for their sex or skin colour. Everyone has the right to a nationality, and no one may lose their citizenship without a valid reason under law.
Gender equality
In Sweden, gender equality means that women and men have the same rights and duties. They must also have equal power to influence society and their own lives.
The goal is equal numbers of female and male politicians. Parties are therefore encouraged to put both women and men on their ballot papers. With parental benefit, that is, money during leave, both women and men can stay home with small children. The state wants parents to share the leave.
Violence, honour and buying sex
Violence in close relationships, for example from a family member, is a crime. According to samtyckeslagen (the Consent Act), you must be sure that the other person wants to have sex, even within a marriage.
Swedish law also forbids honour-related violence and oppression. In such violence, a family or group tries to control how its members live. Anyone who breaks the family's rules can face violence, threats or forced marriage. The victims can be women and girls, but also men, boys and hbtqi (LGBTQI) people, for example gay people. No one under 18 may marry, since child marriage is forbidden.
Jämställdhetsmyndigheten (the Swedish Gender Equality Agency) is responsible for work against honour-related violence and oppression across the country. It is forbidden to buy sex, but the seller is not punished.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
The UN's agreement on children's rights is called barnkonventionen (the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). In 2020 it became Swedish law. Ultimately, the state must make sure all laws agree with it. Courts, agencies, regions and kommuner must also follow it.
Children must be allowed to say what they think before politicians and agencies decide anything that concerns them. In a divorce where the parents disagree about which parent the child should live with, the court must listen to the child. When the kommun builds schools, housing or playgrounds, it must consider the best interests of the child. Parents are responsible for their child's upbringing and development, and society must support them.
No violence against children
Both barnkonventionen and Swedish law forbid all violence against children. It is a crime that can lead to prison. The violence can be assault, sexual abuse, psychological violence or female genital mutilation (harming girls' genitals).
The ban applies to everyone, everywhere, including in the home. In 1979, Sweden became the first country in the world to forbid aga, that is, hitting children. The ban is called agaförbudet (the ban on corporal punishment).
Minorities and indigenous people
Sweden has 5 national minorities: Jews, Roma, Sámi, Sweden Finns and Tornedalers. They have lived here for a very long time and were recognised in 2000. Their languages are Yiddish, Romani chib, Sámi, Finnish and Meänkieli. The minorities may speak their languages with agencies, in preschool and in elderly care.
Sweden also recognises the Sámi as an indigenous people. They have a very old connection to the area of Sápmi, which lies in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. In the Swedish part, the Sámi have special rights to land and natural resources. Members of a sameby (Sámi reindeer-herding community) may carry out reindeer husbandry, that is, keep reindeer, in certain grazing areas.
The Sámi elect their own parliament, Sametinget (the Sámi Parliament). It represents the Sámi in matters of language, culture and identity. Sametinget gives advice and also has certain tasks as an agency.
Hbtqi and discrimination
The letters in hbtqi stand for gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people. People of the same sex may marry each other. Homosexuality stopped being a crime in Sweden in 1944. Since 2003, same sex couples may adopt children, and since 2009 they can marry in Svenska kyrkan (the Church of Sweden).
Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (DO, the Equality Ombudsman) is an agency that checks that diskrimineringslagen (the Discrimination Act) is followed. The law forbids companies and organisations from discriminating. The protection covers sex, age, religion or other belief, ethnic origin and gender identity or expression. It also covers disability and sexual orientation.
A hate crime is a crime against someone because they belong to a particular group. Anyone who commits a hate crime receives a harsher sentence.