As the defence sector grows, gender equality risks shrinking

What are the potential consequences of increased armament and militarisation from a gender equality perspective?

“Defence and security policy, both internationally and nationally, remains heavily male-dominated. This means that decisions on armament and allocation of resources are largely made by men, and that the funding primarily benefits male-dominated sectors.

Increased funding for the defence industry can result in reduced financing for other sectors, such as health and social care, which are dominated by women.

Research has shown a link between prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes and the presence of international military bases. There is also a higher risk of intimate partner violence among military personnel compared with the general population,” says Josefine Jacobsson, International Investigator at the Agency.

“A positive development, however, is that both women and men are now called up for military service testing and have the opportunity to build a career within the Swedish Armed Forces.”

How can the agency contribute to ensuring that gender equality is not overlooked in defence and security policy?

“According to our summary of the agency’s contribution to the implementation of Sweden’s National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security 2024–2028, we are able to support all four of the plan’s priority areas. Among other things, the agency distributes government grants that promote gender equality.

We also have several assignments related to strengthening women’s economic empowerment, violence prevention, and efforts to combat prostitution and human trafficking.”

How can gender perspectives be integrated into decision-making processes concerning defence and security?

“Through gender impact analyses assessing how decisions affect women and men respectively, and by assigning agencies and organisations to work actively with gender mainstreaming.”

Sweden has an international reputation as a leader in gender equality. How does NATO membership affect our credibility?

“NATO has developed its work on gender equality, and as a leading nation in this field, Sweden should contribute to influencing and advancing that work. We need to ensure that NATO’s guidelines for host nation support are implemented in Sweden.

Sweden can also use its influence within the Alliance to help ensure the protection of the rights of women and LGBTQI people.”