Increasing hate, threats and harassment against female politicians are scaring women away from public life and forcing them to censor themselves, the Swedish government\u2019s equality agency has said, warning that this poses a \u201cbig threat to democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s safety in politics has come under heightened scrutiny in the Scandinavian country since October, when Anna-Karin Hatt resigned as leader of the Centre party<\/a> after only five months in office, citing hate and threats.<\/p>\n \u201cTo constantly feel like you need to look over your shoulder and [to] not feel completely safe, not even at home \u2026 I am affected by it much more deeply than I thought I would [be],\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n Hatt\u2019s departure came three years after a man was found guilty of murdering Ing-Marie Wieselgren<\/a>, the psychiatry coordinator for Sweden\u2019s municipalities and regions, and of plotting to kill the then Centre party leader, Annie L\u00f6\u00f6f, at a democracy festival on the island of Gotland.<\/p>\n L\u00f6\u00f6f said she respected Hatt\u2019s decision to resign, adding: \u201cI also understand the reality she describes \u2026 I know how it feels.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Centre party leader Annie L\u00f6\u00f6f said she understood why her successor resigned. Photograph: IBL\/Rex\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Public figures and researchers in Sweden<\/a> say that the political atmosphere in the country \u2013 as elsewhere \u2013 has become more hostile and polarised in recent years. They say this is leading to censorship in public debate and having an effect on legislation.<\/p>\n Line S\u00e4ll, head of unit at the department for analysis and follow-up at government body the Swedish Gender Equality Agency<\/a>, said the climate was \u201cscaring away a lot of groups\u201d and prompting many women to \u201cthink twice\u201d about political engagement.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cFor us who work with gender equality politics, it is also going in the wrong direction when it comes to the government and parliament\u2019s goals for gender equality \u2013 that women should have the same power and influence as men over society and their own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n S\u00e4ll claimed that many women, particularly younger women, feel \u201cenormous vulnerability\u201d in public office, which impacted their ability to do their jobs and lead a normal life. \u201cIt\u2019s a very big threat against democracy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Some find the pressure untenable. \u201cWe have a much higher proportion of young women who resign from political office in local politics, so it has consequences when it comes to censoring yourself, taking yourself away from public life.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweden has long been seen as a global leader on gender equality and prides itself on its freedom of expression and demonstration laws that are protected by the constitution. But statistics show a different story when it comes to politicians.<\/p>\n The 2025 politicians\u2019 security survey, carried out by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, found that 26.3% of female elected representatives reported being exposed to threats and harassment last year because of their position. The equivalent figure for men was 23.6%.<\/p>\n When it came to feeling vulnerable, the gender gap was markedly larger, at 32.7% of women reporting such feelings compared with 24% of men.<\/p>\n The overall percentage of people from a foreign background, regardless of sex, who reported feeling vulnerable was also significantly higher, at 31.5% compared to 24.1% of those from a Swedish background.<\/p>\n The most common consequence cited by respondents to the survey was to limit social media activity, followed by not getting involved or not speaking out on particular issues.<\/p>\n S\u00e4ll said the issue of women falling silent and not engaging required \u201cclear political focus from everyone that wants to live in a democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n Sandra H\u00e5kansson, a researcher at Uppsala University specialising in gender and politics and political violence, said many politicians, particularly women, avoided making statements about high-risk issues, which was having a chilling effect on public debate and ultimately on legislation. She cited immigration policy in particular, where once far-right policies have now entered the mainstream.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to This is Europe<\/p>\n The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans \u2013 from identity to economics to the environment<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a policy area lots of Swedes consider very important,\u201d she said. \u201cWomen and men\u2019s views tend to differ slightly. Women are more positive about receiving refugees and men are more critical. But women are more silent in this debate. It\u2019s possible that this is one of the reasons why we don\u2019t have more diverging views.\u201d<\/p>\n H\u00e5kansson added that debate was an important part of shaping policy, which was narrowed by women being too afraid to speak out. \u201cViolence is setting the boundaries of public debates,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Describing hate and threats as an \u201coccupational hazard\u201d for female politicians, she said that Hatt\u2019s resignation \u201craises lots of concerns\u201d.<\/p>\n