08/03/2005 9:57:34 am
Freedom for Women! "Woman, I can hardly express my deep emotions and my thankfulness..." That old song by John Lennon keeps repeating in my ears this International Women?s Day. It feels like this day should be a day of warmth, generosity and men celebrating women, more than hostile struggles and debates. The Swedish public sphere, though, seems to lean clearly towards the latter. The former Communist leader Gudrun Schyman is starting some kind of women?s list before the election (as if women wouldn?t care about the ideological aspects of politics). The Social Democrats have seen the threat of losing votes and their Party Secretary is starting a network called Feministas. Somehow it is odd that the people who have been running the country for decades protest and say that gender equality is far away. Perhaps it is the policies that have failed? Women don?t need special treatment, government subsidies or help from socialist politicians. They just need freedom - to start their own business in welfare services, for example. Government shouldn?t stand in the way. Anyway, I think I?ll leave that debate to others today and focus more on the humbly romantic celebration.