Sweden's Political Gender Gap Widens Ahead of Election

A widening gender gap in voting preferences ahead of Sweden's September general election shows men shifting to the far-right Sweden Democrats while women favor the left-leaning Social Democrats.

• A Statistics Sweden survey published in June found that 39% of women would vote for the Social Democrats compared to 29% of men, and 25% of men would vote for the Sweden Democrats compared to 12% of women.
• Political science professor Lena Wängnerud said the gender gap in voting has been growing since the 1970s, with the Sweden Democrats replacing the Moderates as the main choice for men.
• Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has pledged to bring the Sweden Democrats into government for the first time if the centre-right coalition wins the September election.
• Moska Hassas, chair of the Social Democrats' youth association, said right-leaning parties underestimate young women's engagement with politics.