Sweden’s ‘soft girl’ trend that celebrates women quitting work

Sweden has a global reputation for championing gender equality, so why are young women embracing a social media trend that celebrates quitting their jobs? Vilma Larsson, 25, has previously worked in a grocery store, a care home and a factory. But she quit a year ago to become a stay-at-home mom, and says she has never been happier. “My life is smooth. I’m not struggling. I’m not stressed.” Her boyfriend works remotely in finance, and while he spends his days on his laptop, he’s out for the gym, coffee or cooking. The couple grew up in a small town in central Sweden, but now travel a lot and spend their winters in Cyprus. “He pays me a salary every month from his earnings. But if I need more, I’ll ask him. Or if I need less, I don't - I just save the rest," Ms Larsson explains. There is no official data on the number of young "soft girls" who have given up work entirely and are living the lives of their partners like Ms Larsson, and Ms Göransson says it is likely to be a small proportion. But it has nevertheless become a major topic of discussion in Sweden, from opinion pieces in broadsheet newspapers to Almedalen - a huge annual cross-party political event - and panel discussions on Swedish public service television. Gudrun Skyman, co-founder and former leader of Sweden's feminist party Feminist Initiative, said she had been involved in recent debates on the issue. She believes women living off their partners' wealth is "very dangerous" and "a step backwards" for gender equality. Ms Skyman argues that young Swedes have been influenced by the country's right-wing coalition government, which cooperates with the nationalist Sweden Democrats, As well as the “greater development” of populism in Europe and the US. She also thinks that Sweden lacks awareness of life before adopting policies designed to promote gender equality, such as heavily subsidized childcare and shared parental leave. “Young women today do not carry the history of how women had to fight for their rights – the right to work, the right to be paid and the right to economic independence.” At the other end of the political spectrum, the Sweden Democrats have been positive about the soft girl trend. “I think that people should make their own life decisions,” says Denis Westerberg, the party’s national spokesperson for the youth wing. “And if you have the economic possibility to do so [to live away from a partner], good for you.” “We still live in a country where there are all the opportunities for a career. We still have all the rights, but we also have the right to choose to live more traditionally.” Ideological debates aside, the discussions focused on the social and cultural factors that may influence young women to quit work - or at least a desire for a softer lifestyle. Sweden has a reputation for work-life balance - most employees get six weeks of vacation a year, and less than 1% work more than 50 hours a week.