Sweden is in the top five places to live as a woman as they are continuously striving for gender equality in all aspects of life. But what is it actually like to live there, work there and grow your family there? Jess Bourne speaks to Alyxandra Savage about life in the Nordic country
Alyxandra had lived in Wales her entire life, until ten years ago, when she decided to move to Sweden. She and her partner had three children at the time, but she wanted them to have a better life.
“I felt that the lifestyle [in Sweden] would have been more aligned with our beliefs as a family,” says Alyxandra. “It wasn’t just for women’s rights; it was also because my children’s dad could have rights as a father.”
While living in Malmo, Sweden, Alyxandra has welcomed a fourth child to their family, and despite suffering quite serious illnesses while pregnant, the hospital experience was relatively the same as it was in the UK.
Sweden also allows mothers and fathers to split the time off given to them after the birth, which is something that Alyxandra took advantage of. They don’t necessarily have maternity or paternity leave. Instead, they have 480 days which can be split.
“We have more equality in the workplace and more gender representation. Women are not discriminated against in the workplace just because they’re mothers,” Alyxandra says.
Gender stereotypes are also not as prominent in society as they are in the UK.
Women are the main caregivers for the children, and it was no different for Alyxandra. While they were living in Wales, her partner was a train driver, and she was the one to take time out of work to go to any appointments. Whereas in Sweden, the responsibility isn’t instantly put on the mothers.
The country also looks out for the safety and health of mothers. A new policy was passed which changed the way they clean the streets after snow fall. Previously, they would give the streets priority over the pavements, but after realising most accidents were happening when women were taking children to school, they changed the way it’s done.
Another difference is when they build apartment blocks, it is ensured that either the kitchen or the living room overlook the parks in between the buildings.
“There are conscious decisions that are built into society that would be missed if you didn’t recognise them,” Alyxandra explains.
And in terms of sexual violence towards women, the emphasis to not act a certain way is not put upon the women. Instead, everyone is taught about consent. It’s common practice for children to ask for hugs in school, to get them into a habit of understanding unwanted touching.
“When you value women’s rights, you also value the children.”
