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A special fund for gender equality? Institutional constraints and gendered consequences in Swedish collective bargaining

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  • Josefina Erikson

Abstract

Sweden is often described as one of the world's most gender‐equal societies, but the gender pay gap nevertheless remains large. In 2007, a special gender‐equality fund that targeted women workers was successfully implemented in the collective bargaining agreement. Although it decreased the gender pay gap, it was controversial and has never been employed since. The aim of this article is to increase knowledge concerning the conditions for such “gender‐equality bargaining” through a detailed empirical case study. An in‐depth study of the bargaining process casts light on how the institutional features of bargaining have changed after 2007 in a way that significantly restricts further attempts to make relative wage changes in gender‐segregated labor markets. The findings indicate that increased employer coordination and a strong industry norm appear to hinder gender‐equality initiatives.

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  • Josefina Erikson, 2021. "A special fund for gender equality? Institutional constraints and gendered consequences in Swedish collective bargaining," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1379-1397, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:4:p:1379-1397
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12645
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Veronika Lemeire & Patrizia Zanoni, 2022. "Beyond methodological nationalism in explanations of gender equality: The impact of EU policies on gender provisions in national collective agreements in Belgium (1957–2020)," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 28(1), pages 47-64, March.
    2. Ines Wagner & Mari Teigen, 2022. "Egalitarian inequality: Gender equality and pattern bargaining," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 486-501, March.
    3. Laust Høgedahl & Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Flemming Ibsen, 2024. "Public sector wage bargaining and the balanced growth model: Denmark and Sweden compared," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 30(1), pages 55-75, March.

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