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Should men vote for Sweden's feminists?

Maddy Savage
Maddy Savage - [email protected]
Should men vote for Sweden's feminists?

The Local asked two first-time male voters in Sweden if they would cast a ballot for the Feminist party.

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YES says Matti White, 30, who is from Scunthorpe in northern England and lives in Gothenburg.

"I came to Sweden as an exchange student seven years ago and never left. Although Sweden already seems to promote gender equality much better than back home in Britain, I am voting for the Feminist party because I think it needs to be an even higher priority. I joined the party back in 2010, even though at that time I hadn't lived here long enough to vote in the election.

I believe the Feminist Initiative has the best chance of making sure that women stop being paid less than men. It is also unfair that women do so much more unpaid work in the home. We need to introduce quotas on company boards to speed up the pace of change and to make sure that more women secure top ministerial posts.

By voting for the Feminist party, I think that we can also help change male stereotypes. At the moment society still largely dictates that men should be strong, that we should be in heterosexual relationships and that we should be the main breadwinners.

I hope we can get to a point where bosses don't think about whether to employ a man or a woman, because in the future they will both be just as likely to take time off to look after their children.

So through empowering more women, men can also help themselves!"

The Local's guide to the Feminist party

NO says Stockholmer Pieter-Jan van Eggermont, 39, who is originally from Antwerp in Belgium.

"I am excited about voting for the first time in Swedish elections but I won't be voting for the Feminist party.
 
I do want more equality for women, but coming from another European country it is clear to me that Sweden is already doing better than most places. 
 
The Feminist party has a very left-wing and Utopian view of how to change society. It seems to think that better gender equality will solve all of Sweden's problems, which I don't agree with.
 
I am not sure I have confidence that the party can tackle the economy or international affairs. However, it's good to see a visionary party engaging with so many young voters and getting people talking.
 
I will be voting for the Liberal Party, which is part of the current governing Alliance. It has a lot of female-friendly policies and can offer Sweden some stability, too."
 

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