Swedish government’s new violence prevention strategy faces criticism over implementation

The Swedish government’s newly announced national strategy to combat men’s violence against women has drawn criticism from researchers and women’s rights organisations, who argue it lacks clear funding and implementation plans, SVT Nyheter reports.

The strategy, presented on Tuesday, tasks the Swedish Gender Equality Agency with coordinating a new framework involving 17 national authorities to address gender-based violence. While Carolina Överlien, professor of gender-related violence at Uppsala University’s National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women (NCK), called the unified approach “positive and important,” she warned that key elements are not grounded in existing research.

“Too often, decisions in these strategies aren’t backed by studies,” Överlien said. She highlighted gaps in support for young survivors of sexual violence and rape, noting that treatment options remain severely limited. “There’s also no plan for how this will be put into practice—something that usually requires funding.”

Överlien criticised the government’s proposal to scale back comprehensive sex education, which covers consent and relationships, calling it a step backward. “Removing these resources leaves young people without guidance,” she said.

Adine Samadi, chair of the National Organisation for Women’s and Girls’ Shelters in Sweden (Roks), echoed concerns about implementation. While she welcomed the strategy’s broad scope, she stressed that its success depends on concrete action. “A strategy alone doesn’t create safety—execution does,” Samadi said. She urged the government to allocate more resources to social services and law enforcement to ensure survivors are taken seriously and perpetrators are held accountable.