Children’s rights are based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and are about safeguarding the rights and interests of children and young people in society. This area covers all activities that affect children, such as education policy, migration policy, culture policy and social services policy.

Children and young people have the right to a safe future, to be cared for and to grow up in a home without violence. If a child or young person is at risk, society has a duty and a responsibility to ensure that they receive the protection and support they need. Swedish social services work to ensure that children and young people grow up in a safe environment.

A proposal for new legislation on children and young people taken into care is to be referred for consultation by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The proposals would see the Care of Young Persons Act being replaced by modern and clear legislation that meets the protection and support needs of children and young people today.

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Honour-based violence and oppression is a serious societal problem, and combating it effectively requires special knowledge and understanding. The Government is therefore adopting an action plan against honour-based violence and oppression for 2026–2028 with a view to stepping up action at all levels of society. The action plan contains measures in five strategic areas and stakes out a clear direction for the work going forward.

Published05 June 2026·Press releasefromNina Larsson,Ministry of Employment

The Swedish Government is presenting a new 10-year national strategy for combating men’s violence against women, domestic violence, exploitation in prostitution and human trafficking, and honour-based violence and oppression. In parallel, the Government has decided on two Government Commissions tasking several government agencies to take part in a national collaboration structure and to monitor progress in relation to the gender equality subgoals to combat violence, oppression and exploitation.

Published20 April 2026·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Jakob Forssmed,Nina Larsson,Ministry of Employment,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Speech by Sweden’s Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall. Delivered at the Sixty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development, United Nations, New York. Check against delivery.

Published03 February 2026·SpeechfromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development opens today, 2 February. Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is representing Sweden in New York.

Published02 February 2026·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

A proposal for new legislation on children and young people taken into care is to be referred for consultation by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The proposals would see the Care of Young Persons Act being replaced by modern and clear legislation that meets the protection and support needs of children and young people today.

Published01 December 2025·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ulf Kristersson,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,Prime Minister's Office

On 4–6 November, Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall will take part in the UN World Summit for Social Development in Doha.

Published03 November 2025·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Children are particularly vulnerable and severely affected under the current circumstances. In light of this, the Swedish Government has decided to allocate SEK 10 million to Save the Children’s efforts in Gaza.

Published05 June 2025·Press releasefromBenjamin Dousa,Camilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry for Foreign Affairs

On 21–23 May, Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall and Minister for Older People and Social Security Anna Tenje visited Lviv, Ukraine. While in Ukraine, Ms Waltersson Grönvall and Ms Tenje took part in the Ministerial Social Policy Summit, which Sweden co-hosted together with Ukraine, Moldova and Lithuania. Ministers from several EU countries were also in attendance.

Published30 May 2025·Press releasefromAnna Tenje,Camilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The Government has decided to refer a proposal for new legislation to criminalise virginity testing, virginity certificates and hymenoplasty to the Council on Legislation. The proposal also includes criminalising the failure to report forced or child marriage. These proposals aim to strengthen the protection of women and girls living in communities where honour-based abuse is prevalent.

Published24 April 2025·Press releasefromGunnar Strömmer,Nina Larsson,Ministry of Employment,Ministry of Justice

Preventive, accessible and knowledge-based: this is how the Swedish Government envisions the Swedish social services.

Published12 March 2025·ArticlefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

We welcome the revision of the Directive on combating sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and wish to declare the following.

Published13 December 2024·StatementfromGunnar Strömmer,Ministry of Justice

Every year, half of the world’s children are subjected to various forms of violence. On 7–8 November, the first global ministerial conference on this topic will be held in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá. The Swedish Government is co-hosting the conference, together with the Government of Colombia, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.

Published01 November 2024·ArticlefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Speach by State Secretary Minna Ljunggren at the ISPCAN congress on prevention of violence against children, in Uppsala 19 August 2024.

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Published26 August 2024·SpeechfromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The Government is now presenting an action programme to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, domestic violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking for the period 2024–2026. The programme contains over 130 initiatives and measures to be undertaken on a broad front at national, regional and local level. The efforts will also be strengthened in four special priority areas for development.

Published24 June 2024·Press releasefromGunnar Strömmer,Ministry of Employment,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,Ministry of Justice

The Swedish Gender Equality Agency has been tasked with sharing knowledge about honour-based violence and oppression in connection with stays abroad. The Government has now also tasked the Agency with analyzing and presenting proposals for a national reporting and follow-up system for cases where a child or adult has been taken abroad. This involves determining the scope of the problem and establishing an approach to systematic follow-up.

Published12 March 2024·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Employment,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Preventing and combating men’s violence against women, other types of intimate partner violence, and honour-based violence and oppression is a high priority for the Government. More than SEK 600 million will be invested in gender equality in 2024 and government agencies have been assigned several new assignments. The Government is now further strengthening the work towards gender equality and presents investment in women’s economic empowerment and to increase knowledge about national minorities’ exposure to violence.

Published08 March 2024·Article,WebcastfromMinistry of Employment

In a referral to the Council on Legislation, the Government proposes amending the legislation on Swedish citizenship. The proposals entail stricter requirements on acquisition of Swedish citizenship by notification and better protection for children and adults in vulnerable situations.

Published29 January 2024·Press releasefromMaria Malmer Stenergard,Ministry of Justice

Support to Ukraine is the most important priority during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. On 1–2 June, the Swedish Presidency held a high-level meeting on protecting children to highlight how Ukrainian children have been affected by Russia’s aggression, and to discuss what EU Member States can do to respond to their needs. A very large number of Member States signed a declaration at the meeting.

Published02 June 2023·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ulf Kristersson,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,Prime Minister's Office

Over seven million people in Ukraine have been forced to leave their homes and seek temporary protection from Russia’s aggression, both within Ukraine and in other European countries. The overwhelming majority are women and children. Children are often among the most vulnerable in war and conflict. Sweden and Ukraine have now entered into a cooperation agreement to continue supporting and protecting children.

Published01 June 2023·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning Swedish social services taking Muslim children into care without a legal basis. According to the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, there are no indications that the campaign will cease in the near future. Social services employees are being threatened and, in the worst case scenario, this risks leading to children in Sweden not receiving the social support to which they are entitled. The Government is now taking several measures to counteract the disinformation that is being disseminated.

Published06 February 2023·Press releasefromCamilla Waltersson Grönvall,Gunnar Strömmer,Ulf Kristersson,Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,Ministry of Justice,Prime Minister's Office