The Impact of Women's Political Empowerment on Good Governance: lessons from Sweden for Iran

This article analyzes the impact of women`s political empowerment on good governance in Sweden and offers a model in this regard which may be utilized by Iran. Our main question is that what impact does women`s political empowerment in Sweden have on good governance in this country and what lessons we can learn for Iran. To answer this question, we combine Lange’s empowerment theory at the micro level (financial independence, awareness and participation), and Malhotra’s theory at the macro level (the provision of economic, social and political infrastructures), in order to come with a theoretical model to analyze the situation in Sweden. Gender equality in Sweden is being internalized through education. Women are very active in organizing and heading civil society institutions. They are also being considered equal to men in all aspects of life. Women are also considered to be one of the most important social forces in Iran, whose position has improved after the 1979 revolution. However, there are obstacles on Iranian women`s way to participate in the social and political affairs of the country and as a result help improve the scale of good governance in the country. The Swedish experience has a lot to offer for Iranian women though the differences in historical and cultural experiences of women in Sweden and Iran have to be taken into our analysis.