Kvinnors rättigheter i riksdagsdebatten: en studie av hur kvinnors rättigheter debatterats i kammaren mandatperioden 2010-2014

Abstract

Women’s rights are debated today in Sweden as well as in the rest of the world, though it is not a new topic. Ever since the subject first started being discussed the view on what rights women should have and how they should be realized has changed. In 1979 the rights became formalized in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that all citizens can enjoy their rights. The members of the parliament (riksdag) are the ones that have the most power to influence the state. It is therefore interesting to see how they debate women’s rights. The purpose of this study is to show and analyze how the members of the parliament view women’s rights today. The material used is protocols from the Chamber where “women’s rights” are mentioned. The period studied is the most recently completed term of office, 2010-2014. To categorize and analyze the material analysis of ideas has been used together with theories on how NGO:s and political actors use human rights in their argumentation. The main results show that the topics most discussed were Sweden’s involvement in Afghanistan, sexual and reproductive health and rights in Sweden and abroad, and Sweden as an important actor. The members of parliament all believe that women’s rights are important. Sometimes it is viewed as the goal and sometimes viewed as the means to reach other goals. Women’s rights are considered as something that mainly concerns foreign politics. Not only do they think that it mostly has to do with people in other states, they also believe that Swedish involvement is wanted.