I am hoping that readers were able to watch the first documentary of four episodes being televised by ‘Inside New Zealand’, TV3, Thursday nights.

I found the first to be a laugh and was happy ‘Kim and Corbett’ were a part. Alot of discussion is happening about Genders on many radio stations presently.

But it is not just New Zealand who is questioning our roles and feminism.

Support for feminism took another hit this summer with the airing of a Swedish television documentary called “The Gender War.” A wrenching debate was set off by the film, which showed militant feminism to be widespread, reaching into official circles: Ireen von Wachenfeldt, the chairman of Roks, Sweden’s largest women’s shelter organization, for one, was shown asserting that “men are animals.”

Suddenly the belief that politics, business, even private life should be reformed to allow a more equal society – a belief that has permeated Swedish politics for several decades – is being openly questioned.

“This could be a backlash,” said Yvonne Hirdman, a professor of history at Stockholm University, adding that she believed many people were glad.

There is also a feminist political party that seemed to be in a position to take 25 percent of the votes for the next election but have dropped to a meager 1.3 percent. This might be what is behind Labor’s push for state funding. ????

The party wanted to ban marriage altogether and make all children have neutral names only.

Sweden and New Zealand as well as many other western countries are following an International feminist movement. Everything New Zealand is doing, Sweden has done including the allegations of abuse on the police force.

We are to shortly see the feminist plan to give 20 hours a week free childcare from July 1st which they intend to increase full-time and have paid for by the state. Sweden has already fulfilled this and has free full time child care for children from age one.

The No Smacking Bill is just a tool to help get New Zealand to where Sweden is.

What comes next for feminism and equality in Sweden is an open question. Some observers believe that the recent wave of criticism and introspection will die down. But others think that social reforms will start to be rolled back, and that even the belief in equality that has been the pride of many Swedes for years may be in jeopardy.

“Testing times have arrived,” said Hirdman, a history professor. “Now we’ll see how deeply rooted this really is.”

International Herald Tribune