The Social Democrats present themselves as a feminist party—but when the party sought to attract voters with roots in Bangladesh, gender segregation prevailed. The women sat in one room and the men in another while the local Social Democratic leader gave his speech.
The Social Democrats have made feminism and gender equality central tenets of their political platform. But when the Social Democratic Party chair in Uppsala Patrik Hedlund When he set out to reach voters ahead of the election, he encountered a system marked by gender segregation, reports Aftonbladet.
A video from a community center in Gottsunda shows Hedlund speaking to an audience that, according to Aftonbladet, is primarily of Bangladeshi descent. The women are gathered in one room and the men in another, while the Social Democratic Party leader stands between the groups and delivers his speech.
Accepted gender segregation on site
Hedlund states that he reacted to the gender segregation as soon as he arrived. Despite this, he went ahead with his presentation and explains that, as an invited guest, he did not feel it was his place to make decisions on behalf of the participants.
– I pointed that out, but I could have made myself clearer. I focused on my topic and what I was going to talk about. At the time, I felt it wasn’t my place to tell them where to sit once they were already seated, since I had been invited as a guest.
The meeting was organized by the Social Democrat Mohammad Jashim Uddin (as is running for office (to the Riksdag as the 35th candidate for the Social Democrats in Uppsala County), who posted the video on Facebook but removed it after receiving critical comments. He claims that the gender segregation was not intentional.
– No, no. It’s not about religion or anything like that. Afterward, we sat down and ate pizza. Everyone went up and got food together. But culturally speaking, people often sit however they’re comfortable.
Feminism on the Outside – Gender Segregation at the Meeting
It is this contrast that makes the issue politically sensitive. The Social Democrats position themselves as advocates of feminism and gender equality to the general electorate. When the party sought support among voters with roots primarily in Bangladesh, the local Social Democratic Party leadership effectively accepted gender segregation during its appearance.
It was only afterward that Hedlund took a firmer stance. He states that he then contacted the organizer and pointed out that the division was inappropriate.
In a post on, L Party leader Simona Mohamsson accuses X S for deviating from its own policy:
”The Social Democrats are letting down the Swedish fight for gender equality by holding gender-segregated campaign rallies in Uppsala.”
SALAM, formerly the Swedish university town of Uppsala.
Gottsunda, Uppsala’s Rinkeby. :-(
Gottsunda is a real slum—as a Swede, you wouldn't want to be there.