Vad hände med Varannan damernas?

Sammanfattning

Sweden's municipal council is characterized by an uneven gender distribution where women make up approximately 40 percent of the council. This study examines the descriptive variation of female representation within 16 of Sweden’s municipal councils through a comparative method. Relevant variables supported by previous research are used to identify patterns as a background for interviews which explore the municipal council/municipal executive board chairpersons’ perception of an uneven gender distribution in the municipal council. The study indicates that municipalities with low female representation are primarily located in southern Sweden and correlate with male chairmanship. Surprisingly the study's results did not establish a clear relationship between party affiliation and female representation which was established by previous research, except in the case of the Social Democrats. This is explained by the party’s size and explicit gender quotas. The study also shows that the interviewees perception is based on the fact that there is a relationship between descriptive and substantive representation (except in Lekeberg) and view the uneven gender distribution as a structural issue. In line with the theory of Dahlerup and Freidenvall, a structural problem requires structural measures. Such a change has not occurred in Swedish politics since the Social Democrats introduced "Varannan damernas" 1994. Since then, the gender distribution in municipal councils has remained stagnant. The lack of structural changes is likely one reason for the stagnation within gender distribution in Sweden’s municipal councils.