INTERSEKTIONALITET I EU:S JÄMSTÄLLDHETSSTRATEGIER En innehållsanalys av EU:s jämställdhetsstrategier mellan 2010–2025

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has since the Treaty of Rome 1957 pursued the goal of gender equality and one effort is through their gender equality strategies. In recent years EU also has had an increased emphasis on intersectionality. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to examine how intersectionality is portrayed in EUs three gender equality strategies between 2010 and 2025. To investigate this, the problems and solutions presented in the strategies have been reviewed. The study uses a qualitative content analysis and a theoretical framework of intersectionality with an analytical scheme to study the equality strategies. The results show that the equality strategy 2020-2025 has a better understanding of intersectionality compared to the strategies of 2010-2015 and 2016-2019. The strategy of 2016-2019 is generally the least developed. The portrayal differs between topics, where economy and equal pay for equal work had a better representation of intersectionality compered to gender-based violence and women in leading roles. There are areas for improvement to the EUs representation of intersectionality, such as needs for discussions regarding power of privileged groups and structural understanding. Additionally, more detailed descriptions of intersectionality and emphasis on an interactive rather than additive approach of intersectionality is required.