Abstract This paper explains that, while women in various parts of the world pursued their agenda through an autonomous feminist movement, Swedish women have traditionally worked within the confines of the established political system, which is a consequence of the structure of its centralized corporatist state. The author stresses that in industrialized nations such as the U.S. it is important to win conflicts, in Sweden it is important to avoid them; Swedes prefer to yield rather than fight, even whey they suspect that they are right; therefore, even Sweden's feminists "play by the rules". The paper relates that whereas women in countries such as France, and Germany became conversant with the legal and moral implications of sexual harassment from American feminists, Swedish women learned from state officials who were charged with equality issues.
From the Paper "The relative strength of the contemporary Swedish state is reflected in the preparation and implementation of legislative reforms. In Sweden, legislation is the channel through which legislative reforms are initiated. The preparation of laws is essentially the task of state-appointed investigatory commissions and /or bureaucrats who work under the direction of a minister. Indeed, ministries often give commissions and bureaucrats directives "which outline the problems to be considered, the goals to be achieved, and sometimes even the approaches to take to reach these conditions.""
