One day a year, in many countries around the world, there’s a holiday focusing on women—their rights, their achievements, and their future. In this article, you’ll learn about International Women’s Day in Sweden, the measures Sweden is taking to propel the cause for gender equality forward, and more.

Let’s get started.

1. What is International Women’s Day?

In several countries around the world, International Women’s Day is a special holiday dedicated to women. On this day, there’s a focus on celebrating women, honoring their achievements, and encouraging more gains for women’s rights. This is when people really uppmärksamma, or “pay attention to,” particular issues that women face, such as the gender pay gap and other results of gender inequality.

International Women’s Day history really began around the year 1909, when the Socialist Party of America put on a special event for women in New York. The idea for a Women’s Day quickly spread to Europe, and in 1911, many European countries began celebrating.

Today, International Women’s Day continues to spread medvetenhet, or “awareness,” about the issues women face and seeks to show them respect and appreciation.

2. When is International Women’s Day?

Each year, International Women’s Day takes place on March 8.

3. Women’s Day Celebrations

One of the most common ways people celebrate International Women’s Day in Sweden is to give women gifts. Popular gifts include flowers, sweets, and even perfume or clothing! These gifts are usually given to women by their husbands, boyfriends, co-workers, or children. Sometimes, schools hold special sessions for Women’s Day to allow children to prepare cards or handmade gifts for their mothers.

More importantly, though, on International Women’s Day, Sweden does what it can to highlight the problems of ojämställdhet, or “inequality,” and kamp, or “struggle,” that women face each day around the world. On Women’s Day, Sweden holds events to encourage gender equality.

→ For some delicious inspiration, check out SwedishPod101’s lesson on popular Swedish Sweets and Desserts!

→ If you want some vocabulary related to Mother’s Day, which is very similar to Women’s Day, we have that too.

4. Gender Equality and Women’s Rights in Sweden

In Sweden, gender equality is a huge deal, and numerous Swedes seek to spread the idea of gender equality to the rest of the world. One such example is climate change activist Greta Thunberg, who tweeted on International Women’s Day 2019 about the need for equality before greater change can happen.

The country is also working toward improving and increasing Swedish women’s rights. This is especially true in typical trouble areas, such as salary, participation in government, and violence against women. For example, the Swedish government has taken measures to ensure that there’s more equality in the number of parental leave days mothers and fathers take each year.

You can read more about Sweden’s efforts to promote gender equality and women’s rights on the Swedish government’s official website.

→ For some words related to The Workplace, check out our vocabulary list!

5. Essential Vocab for Women’s Day in Sweden

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important Swedish vocabulary for International Women’s Day!

• Respektera — “Respect” [v.]
• Kvinna — “Woman” [n.]
• Ojämställdhet — “Inequality” [n.]
• Rättighet — “Right” [n.]
• Rösträtt — “Right to vote” [n.]
• Uppmärksamma — “Pay attention to” [v.]
• Ena — “Unify” [v.]
• Kamp — “Struggle” [n.]
• Socialism — “Socialism” [n.]
• Förenta nationerna — “United Nations”
• Medvetenhet — “Awareness” [n.]
• Mänsklig rättighet — “Human rights” [n.]

To hear the pronunciation of each word, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Swedish International Women’s Day vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about International Women’s Day in Sweden with us. Do you celebrate Women’s Day or a similar holiday in your country? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re fascinated with Swedish culture and can’t get enough, check out the following pages on SwedishPod101.com:

• Swedish Culture
• Top 5 Things You Need to Know About Swedish Society
• Summer Solstice Celebration: Midsummer Day in Sweden
• Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker
• What’s Your Favorite Swedish Food?

Whatever your reasons for developing an interest in Swedish culture or the language, know that SwedishPod101.com is the best way to expand your knowledge and improve your skills. With tons of fun and immersive lessons for learners at every level, there’s something for everyone!

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Happy International Women’s Day from the SwedishPod101 family!