Scholarship on radical right political parties (RRPPs) has largely ignored the role of women. Previous scholarship (Givens 2004, Rippeyoung 2007 and Coffé 2013) has focused on the voter base and ideological positioning of RRPPs, mostly focusing on the socioeconomic status of voters. This paper examines the role that gender plays in the Sweden Democrats (SD), a nationalist right-wing party which has often been accused of upholding gender discrimination in addition to xenophobic policies. This study draws on interviews as well as examining party websites and manifestos, personal home pages and official social media accounts of female party members in addition to the broader academic literature on radical right parties in Europe.
Open ended interviews were conducted with female members of the SD Kvinnor (“SD women” - the official women’s wing of the Sweden Democrats) in order to examine what role, if any, gender played in their choice to become active members of this political party, how they are treated by male party members and how they are perceived in Swedish society. Findings indicate that while gender is of some significance within the party, it is less significant than is believed by mainstream Swedish society. Women in the SD in fact understand themselves as being representative of “ordinary women”. The women who were interviewed argue that there is greater opposition and harassment from women than there is from men outside the party rank and file. The study concludes that while gender does play a role in how women are viewed as members of the Sweden Democrats, it does not necessarily indicate that discrimination based on gender is practiced within the SD.
This article is a single-country study that contributes to the existing literature on radical right parties in Europe and women in politics by providing an analysis of, arguably, the most active women’s organization within a radical right party in Europe. It also contributes to research questions surrounding women’s participation in other European RRPPs by drawing inferences about questions relating to the participation of women in similar parties as well as how such parties gender their platforms to appeal to more women in an attempt to attract a demographic that has been significantly lacking in their party rank and file.
The rationale behind the case selection is that the SD Kvinnor is an incredibly visible and active organization within the SD. One of their primary goals has been to attract more women to the party, which they have been very successful in accomplishing. Further, the SD Kvinnor has played a huge role in the Sweden Democrat’s surge in popularity since 2010. As political parties such as the SD gain momentum in Europe, single case studies are an important component of analysis as they provide in-depth knowledge about each party, which can then be tested by other scholars in other case studies of far right parties and gender.
