Growing up in a Gender Equal Environment: Gender Policy at Daycares in Sweden

The Swedish state is known to pursue gender equality. As has been discussed in many articles in social sciences the Swedish policy of gender equality has a long history. Nevertheless, the policy of gender equality has only recently crossed the doors of daycares. The questions why and how are the issues of our study. After retracing the history of gender equality policies and laws within this domain, we examine why gender equality between boys and girls below the age of 6 was not considered to be in need of regulation. But, in 2006 a law was passed after studies of Swedish daycares (enacted by Swedish municipalities) showed different attitudes between children according to their gender, as well as different attitudes among the adults depending on the sex of children. In this paper we study this law and what it meant in practice. We also analyze the debates at the Swedish parliament (Riksdagen) in relation to this 2006 law to understand the different arguments and objectives of the law. Finally, as the 2006 law has had a limited impact on the everyday practice of daycares in Sweden (and we discuss why this is the case) we also analyze specific “experimental” daycares (named egalia) that has been established to go forward on the domain of gender neutrality towards the children at young age so the children can chose for themselves without being subjugated to gender stereotypes.