Women's Political Representation in Sweden: Discursive Politics and Institutional Presence

ABSTRACT

The growing number of women in parliament (currently 45 percent) and in the cabinet (at times 50 percent) in Sweden over the past three decades has been frequently noted. A less well-known phenomenon is the advances made by women in appointed positions since the late 1980s. This article seeks to understand the dynamics of the process of increased representation in both elected and appointed office and its timing. Putting special emphasis on discursive strategies and resources, the article examines three crucial debates. It argues that a discursive turn involving two changes set the process in motion. The first was to redefine women's issues as demands for gender equality. This transformed women's issues, which were earlier regarded as peculiar to women who were a special minority, into major party issues. In effect this change recast the conditions for substantive representation – the incorporation of women's preferences in policies. The second aspect of the discursive turn was gendering the demand for greater democracy. Framing the issue of women's representation in this way strategically converted political women from a minority within each of the parties into a majority of the citizenry – improving the potential for descriptive representation. The article concludes that, despite the importance of naming and framing, it is the combination of discursive and organizational resources – especially the institutional presence of women – that has been decisive for women securing public office.