ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on what might be perceived as a paradox: feminist opposition to gender equality. It zooms in on a type of opposition that is neither evident, vocal, nor easily discernible—and all the more important to identify and understand. Opposition to gender equality comes in many forms, and actors working for change often encounter and profoundly experience its effects. This chapter analyzes a “failed” case of policy adoption in a gender-progressive setting: the Swedish Social Democrats’ failure in 2005 to reform parental leave legislation by extending the quota for each parent. The analysis builds on interviews with high-ranked party representatives—both advocates and opponents of the reform. We identify tensions between proponents’ gender concerns and opponents’ class-based interests. Our findings illustrate that even where support for gender equality is generally strong, this does not imply that all political actors will at all times prioritize working against gender inequality over all other political injustices they seek to remedy or over all their other political objectives.
