Report
from Anne Neale of HARO, a member group of the International Women Count Network (IWCN), invited us to their national meeting to coincide with an EU meeting hosted by Sweden, which has just become EU President. HARO (started early 1980s) has 3,7000 members across Sweden - mostly women, some men. Campaign for mothers and fathers to have the right to stay at home with their children, and for the money the State currently spends on subsidising daycare to be paid directly to parents so they can choose their children’s childcare. We first met them in Beijing, then three women came to our workshop during Beijing+5 in NY. In Sweden either mother or father can take one year’s paid leave when child is born. Payment ranges from approx £4.50 - £45 a day, according to previous wage. After one year both parents are expected to do full-time waged work and put child in full-time State run nurseries. There’s a financial penalty if they don’t which is loss of rent subsidy available to those on low incomes/with high rent. Those entitled to "social benefits" – eg unemployed or single mothers, are given 3 months to get a job or lose the money. No choice of childcare (eg childminders). They say: "Government tells us we’re unfit to look after our own children and should give them to someone else to raise." About 30 HARO women plus two men met in Norrkoping (about 100k south of Stockholm). They also invited Monique Wittemans, formerly in the Belgian housewives group TOGS and now active in FEFAF – the European Federation of Housewives organisations. Two main public activities were a one-hour question and answer session in the town’s public library with the Swedish Equalities and Social Security Ministers (both women) on Saturday; on Sunday a demonstration outside the formal EU meeting. About 100-125 people in the Library – slightly more men than women; HARO women very prominent, wearing bright yellow ponchos with their logo, with a leaflet in English (attached) and carrying placards including: "Gallup shows 8 out of 10 women want 4 years with their children"; "An End to no pay, low pay and too much work", and "Stop the World and Change it". Maria Johansson from HARO questioned a punitive procedure which limits the amount of time which paid maternity leave can be extended beyond the first year, and several other HARO women challenged the Minister, whose basic line was "we want to use the Presidency to encourage other EU countries to follow the Swedish model of equality". Other questions (hostile to govt policies) on workfare and health insurance/costs. Very little support for govt. As they came to end it was clear they weren’t going to call on me so I just started speaking about how women in rest of Europe didn’t want Swedish model – and it was clear Swedish women didn’t either - that we wanted an end to no pay, etc. I said that at the UN Women’s Conference in Beijing (1995) Sweden had opposed our campaign to get governments to agree to measure and value unwaged work in national accounts and every year since then had tried to get the UN to slide back on the commitments made in Beijing (the Ministers mentioned implementing the Beijing Platform). I talked about the Global Women’s Strike demands as being what women want. In answer the Minister said women in Europe want jobs, and that in any case their policy since the 60s had been "women’s equality" was a paid job and they were sticking by that. I raised women's low wages, work in caring industries – she said unequal pay is something they do want to deal with. It was a good blast – in English which everyone speaks. Local radio and TV were there and reported something. HARO were delighted with the interventions and the subsequent press coverage. Gave out Strike leaflets in Swedish – met woman who’d done translation last year, works with indigenous Lappisch people, who was delighted! Several women interested in Strike. Street theatre outside protesting IMF buying and selling countries. There was a demonstration on Sunday outside the official meeting place of the EU – mostly HARO with lots of yellow helium balloons, plus couple of women from the National Association of Widows who’re protesting against retroactive cuts to widows’ pensions. As I was leaving others were joining. This action was widely reported on national radio and TV. HARO are now discussing what they will do as part of the GWS. Strike materials available in Swedish. HARO Website: http://www.haro.to
Additional info about Sweden
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