Sweden has for many years been recognized as a model of gender equality, particularly with regards to its high proportion of female parliamentarians. This book traces this path to equal representation between women and men in elected bodies, with a special focus on candidate selection process and the implementation of special measures such as party quotas.

Using an approach that is based on feminist institutionalism and discursive institutionalism, the author focuses on institutional reform and change and the ways in which both formal and informal institutions, including rules, practices and norms, as well as key actors’ strategies and alliances, may contribute to our understanding of women’s political representation in Sweden and what these gendered outcomes mean in a wider context.