What I found in Sweden: A school for women and a graduate program studying sex as science

In the previous article, " Japan Hides Sex, Sweden Talks Sex, " we introduced places where anyone—regardless of gender, age, nationality, or disability—can openly and casually discuss sex or gender.

This time, from the perspective of "educational institutions," I introduce two places. One is a school for women who are often socially disadvantaged (including immigrants, transgender women, and non-binary individuals). The other is a world-leading research center for sexology (the science of sexuality) at Malmö University.

*Full report here
 

Educational Institutions Empowering All Women
 

【Women's Folk High School】

Women's Folk High School ( Kvinnofolkhögskolan ) is located in central Gothenburg. Women of diverse ages, transgender women, non-binary individuals, and other women often socially disadvantaged study here, bringing varied backgrounds and goals. It offers courses at the elementary and secondary school level (roughly equivalent to Japanese high school) as well as courses focused on feminist studies. A common thread across all courses is the commitment to examining topics from a gender equality perspective and fostering a collaborative learning environment.

A key goal of this school is to increase opportunities for women from diverse backgrounds to participate actively in society. Consequently, learning here takes place in a slightly different way than in many other schools. Small groups are common, and a project-based approach is often used. The learning content is designed based on the needs, prior knowledge, and experiences of the course participants.

Connecting and collaborating with feminists domestically and internationally to build a more equal and democratic society

Women's Folk College has a long history of collaborating with educators and feminists in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other parts of Europe. These international contacts enable comparisons of the situations facing women around the world. Within Sweden, there are also numerous collaborative relationships, with various groups active in the feminist movement using the school building almost nightly. Providing a space for exchange among different organizations is also one of the school's key policies.

Women's Folk College was founded on the recognition that women worldwide face political, social, economic, and cultural discrimination. During the women's movement in Gothenburg in 1976, a preparatory group formed to establish a women's folk high school. In April 1985, the Swedish Parliament passed a resolution on "an independent women's university," and six months later, Women's Folk College opened its doors.

Since then, countless diverse courses, projects, and collaborations have been implemented—covering feminism and gender studies, of course, but also travel courses to India, cooperation with organizations and networks in Latin America and Eastern Europe, natural sciences, hip-hop, documentary filmmaking, elder care, citizenship, crafts, and intersectionality. Consequently, the school attracts people of all ages, backgrounds, and learning goals.

Women's Folk College also operates a preschool. Many students are women with children requiring childcare. The preschool was established to provide these women with opportunities to study, and like the school itself, its founding principles are democracy, a gender perspective, and multiculturalism.

From left: Agneta Wirén and Mariya Voyvodova, whom we interviewed

The starting points are democracy, gender perspectives, and multiculturalism. Women become stronger by learning together

(Agneta Wirén)
"The path to women gaining rights has been truly slow. Universities opened to women in the 1870s, but only wealthy women could attend. Now there are 155 universities. There are course activities, many NGOs, women's movements, and women's organizations.

Currently, about 250 people aged 18 to 55 study at this school (about 100 in distance learning courses and about 150 on-campus). Adult women from different countries, and women who entered the Swedish education system but couldn't finish school, are all learning here together.

Upon completing the general course, students receive a high school diploma. After graduation, they either go on to university or find work. There are also courses in creative writing, Swedish for immigrants, courses for women including transgender women, and a newly established course for refugees. Currently, there are six refugees awaiting residence permits.

Women with international roots often face particular challenges in society. However, learning together with other women at this school creates a powerful mutual influence. They support each other, cooperate, and embrace their differences. Of course, conflicts arise, and differing opinions are always present, but the ability to discuss and understand others' perspectives is crucial.

Some say an all-girls school is outdated, but learning together makes us stronger."

The foundation running the school receives funding from the region (like Gothenburg City), but most comes from the county.

The gender ratio among council members is 50:50! The biggest change has happened in the last 20 years.

"We're not just working within the school, but also engaging with national politicians. The journey to get here hasn't been easy, but it's been a fun one. We really fought in the 80s. Previous cabinets were all men. Even if you say you want more women, developing women who can replace the men in the cabinet is incredibly difficult. But things have changed innovatively over these 20 years.

Today, there are many women in the cabinet, and now nearly all parties have a gender ratio of almost 50:50 (as of November 2022). Why did this happen? Because Sweden uses proportional representation for elections. Each party creates a candidate list, and seats are filled from the top of the list based on the vote share. We ensured these candidate lists alternated between men and women.

There is also an anti-feminist movement. People who oppose feminists are opposing women's rights. When encountering opinions different from our own, what is right and what is wrong? Even in schools like ours, we must continue to take time to think and discuss society and the future from a broader perspective.

It takes time for women's voices to be accepted, and education is crucial for this. Education about sexual violence is also vital. In 2017, the global #MeToo movement was significant in Sweden too. It was almost like a feminist revolution. We feared a backlash, but things moved forward.

Never give up! It continues."

Schools like this are necessary to change the direction of life.

(Mariya Voyvodova)
Compared to 40 or 20 years ago, we've become a highly educated society. In the 1960s, university enrollment rates were very low. Nationwide, it went from 70,000 students to hundreds of thousands today. In Gothenburg alone, there are 70,000.
In this context, schools like Women's Folk College have become increasingly important. People from working-class and immigrant families gather here to seek the possibility of continuing education and work, to change their lives. Some study to change careers after missing out on their desired school, while others come from other countries to gain qualifications because their degrees aren't recognized in Sweden.

We cannot fight against people's aspirations. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. With the climate crisis and so many other things happening simultaneously right now, I believe this is a time for change. I hope everything shifts in a positive direction.

I am also a politician. I serve as a city councilor for the Social Democratic Party in Gothenburg. It's demanding but important work. I strive to drive change in a positive direction. As a child, my dream was to continue with classical ballet, but at age 12, my father told me I couldn't make a living from it. I was angry, but since I was interested in politics, I studied political science and came to Sweden as an immigrant from Bulgaria. In 2006, at age 29, I became a politician, and in 2010, I was elected to the City Council.

Everything is possible, never give up!

Leading Sweden in sexology and sexuality research

[Center for Sexology and Sexuality Research (Malmö University)]
 
 

The Center for Sexology and Sexuality Research at Malmö University's School of Social Work conducts interdisciplinary research on sexuality from social science, humanities, medical, and clinical perspectives.

Its purpose is to develop and stimulate research in sexology and sexuality studies across the faculty, and to strengthen domestic and international research collaboration in this field. This also aims to strengthen the university's position as a research institution both nationally and internationally.

Researching, studying, and educating in sexology (sexual science).

Research focuses on structural frameworks, institutional contexts, and individual experiences, organized around three main themes.

Sexuality, Norms, and Politics
This research theme focuses on how various forms of social intervention and legal measures create and reproduce ideas about sexuality, gender, and relationships. Examples include approaches to sex education, Swedish authorities' responses to suspected genital mutilation cases, structural challenges in sexual and reproductive health and rights, immigration laws related to LGBTQ+ experiences, and perspectives on the criminalization of prostitution.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Interventions and Prevention
This field encompasses various investigations related to sexual and reproductive diseases, sexual vulnerability, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and social interventions. Research projects organized under this theme include, for example, how social welfare services and healthcare address issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), how social welfare agencies deal with LGBTQ+ individuals, and sexual counseling related to rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injuries.

Sexual Experiences and Practices
This theme focuses on sexual experiences and practices from individual perspectives and experiences. Examples include inferences about the sexual experiences of young adults with intellectual disabilities, sexual health and disease among individuals with acquired brain injury, the impact of sexual abuse experiences on dental visits, young people's reasoning about sexual consent in digital communication, experiences with infertility investigations and treatments, experiences of male sexual violence, experiences of polyamory, life stories of infidelity, treatment experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in community care, sexual health of young people living with inflammatory bowel disease, and experiences of intimacy and sexuality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charlotta Holmström, who shared her story

Leveraging members' diverse backgrounds to bridge disciplinary boundaries is our strength.

"We've been active since 2007 as a group researching sexology and gender from different angles, and we established ourselves as a research center in 2014. We operate in Sweden and the Nordic countries, with members in each nation, and we've launched programs annually. Currently (Fall 2022), there are 14 groups.

Our members' backgrounds include social workers, midwives, nurses, psychologists, physicians, and psychotherapists. Each is active in their professional field and is currently pursuing a master's degree here. Our strength lies in these professionals conducting research together, bridging their specialized fields. Their diverse professional backgrounds and perspectives allow us to examine how norms (social rules and expected behavioral patterns/norms) and policies relate to sexuality. We are researching how they influence individuals and organizations, among other ongoing projects.

For example, a student working as a social worker became interested in "sex work" within that context. It's a politically sensitive field. I have a strong interest in this area and have done extensive research, so I oversee the overall project.

※Sweden, recognizing that purchasing sexual services is a form of sexual violence, became the first country in the world in 1998 to criminalize only the purchaser of sexual services while protecting the seller. Regarding laws surrounding the sex industry, situations vary by country within Europe; for example, the Netherlands has legalized prostitution, notably in its red-light districts. Furthermore, Sweden's approach has faced criticism for allegedly driving the sex industry underground. Opinions are divided on whether selling sexual services should be viewed as work—where sex workers' rights should be protected—or treated uniformly as violence. Consequently, it has become a politically sensitive field.
 

Ms. Eva Elmerstig, whom we interviewed

"My background is in midwifery and healthcare. My specialties include sexual function, sexual desire, gender norms, bodily injury and sexuality, and sexuality and healthcare.
The standard master's program is two years, but we also created a program that takes four years by halving the pace.

After completing the master's program, some continue working more specialized roles in the same region, while others work as specialists in different areas. Some also pursue specialized career paths as sexologists."

(Editor's Note)
Sweden is now globally recognized as a country with advanced gender equality. However, through actual interviews, it became clear that this wasn't achieved overnight; it was something won over time.

There was a time when women didn't even have the right to vote, much like in Japan. Whether it's LGBTQ+ rights or SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights), it was a history of people who felt something was wrong raising their voices, facing resistance, and gradually winning rights step by step.

When I shared the realities in Japan—such as the high barriers to accessing emergency contraception, the continued use of outdated surgical procedures like curettage, and women being arrested after unwanted pregnancies or isolated births—their expressions grew increasingly somber. At times, we shared tears as they deeply empathized. I believe it was because this history was also theirs.

It must be said that Japan's path to achieving gender equality remains long, yet signs of change are gradually emerging. These include a recent rise in awareness about gender equality and the establishment of new laws criminalizing non-consensual sexual intercourse.

Read the article on the SEXOLOGY site here
https://sexology.life/world/swedish_sex_education/
https://sexology.life/world/swedish_sex_education_2/