Partner spotlight: Sweden

The Government of Sweden is one of the largest financial supporters to UN Women and an important strategic partner. The partnership was further strengthened with the signing of a multi-year funding agreement in June 2018, whereby Sweden committed SEK 536 million (approximately USD 62 million) in regular resources to UN Women.

A long-standing supporter of gender equality initiatives in the UN and the first country to adopt a feminist foreign policy, Sweden is an important enabler in UN Women’s work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and an equal and just world for all. Moreover, the country co-leads the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights.

Sweden has been among the top-five donors to UN Women since the organization’s inception in 2011. In 2020, Sweden was the second-largest government contributor to UN Women in total with USD 71.6 million and the second-largest government contributor to regular resources with USD 18.7 million.

Sweden’s decision to provide regular as well as other resources (earmarked for programmes) has been of great importance to UN Women as it has allowed the entity to build its organization, presence, and expertise. With flexible regular resources, Sweden is empowering UN Women to decide where the funding is most needed and to remain agile in times of crisis, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sweden and UN Women share a fundamental commitment to gender equality. UN Women’s mandate and work correspond closely with Sweden’s development priorities, such as strengthening the rights of refugee women and girls, combating violence against women, promoting women’s role in peace processes, strengthening women’s economic power, and fighting for sexual and reproductive rights.