Swedish Ambassador Tomas Rosander gave a broad orientation about his country’s efforts towards gender equality.

“Equality is a general aim in all policy fields of society, including foreign affairs,” he said. The theme at the Nordic friendship association’s breakfast gathering in Islamabad was: ‘Sweden - a feminist foreign policy and other topical gender issues.’

A participant, Sameena Nazir, wanted to know how Sweden and the other Nordic countries got ahead of most nations in the field of gender equality. In his reply, Ambassador Rosander underlined the importance of education. Another participant stressed the general cultural ethos of fairness. He thought that the Swedes were particularly concerned about fair play in all fields of society.

Yet, Ambassador Rosander admitted that even in Sweden women were sometimes paid less than men for the same work. He said there were still fewer women ambassadors than men but at the middle-level there is now gender equality and, currently, the minister of foreign affairs is a woman.

“Often, it is difficult for a woman or man to accompany their diplomat spouse on postings abroad,” said another participant.

“In our case, I have had to adjust my career,” said Christiana Nyström-Rosander, the ambassador’s wife, who is a medical doctor by profession.

“I have specialised in research so that I can work in blocks. I spend intensive work periods in Sweden so that I can spend time in the country where my husband is posted. If I was in another profession or working as a regular doctor in shifts, it would have been impossible,” she said.

The same evening, a cultural event was also organised by the embassy of Myanmar.

“That just underlines that ambassadors are actually on duty 24 hours a day but most of it is pleasant,” said Ambassador Rosander.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2015

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