Jämställdhetsperspektiv inom det svenska klimatanpassningsarbetet: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av offentliga myndigheters handlingsplaner för klimatanpassning

Abstract

The climate crisis represents a serious threat to both people and nature and it will exacerbate existing inequalities, especially for women and girls who are most at risk yet have contributed least to the problem. Climate adaptation is critical to addressing the challenges of climate change, and it requires integrating a gender perspective to take into account the specific vulnerabilities faced by women and girls, as highlighted in the Paris Agreement. This study examines the implementation of gender perspectives in Swedish governmental climate change adaptation strategies. By applying a qualitative content analysis to 24 government agencies’ action plans, the study investigates how gender equality is addressed in the context of climate change adaptation. The findings disclose a general lack of acknowledgement and understanding of the gender/climate change nexus, with most action plans either disregarding gender perspectives or only addressing them in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals. The study identifies a tendency among government agencies to associate gender primarily with the global context, particularly the global south, while neglecting the issue’s relevance in a Swedish setting. Although gender mainstreaming is mentioned in several action plans, its application is often inconsistent as well as symbolic rather than substantive. These results suggest that Swedish authorities have internalized a homogenized view of vulnerability that fails to capture the complexity of gender-related issues in climate adaptation. This thesis concludes by emphasizing the need for clearer strategies, increased knowledge dissemination and more comprehensive research on the intersection of gender and climate change, especially within climate adaptation efforts, in Swedish public policy.