This week we talk to Ms Cecilia Julin, the Ambassador of Sweden to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia. We discuss some of the responsibilities in her current role, at a political and economic level, and highlight a few regional programmes Sweden supports in Southern Africa, such as AIDS prevention, energy initiatives and climate issues. We consider the positive effects of gender legislation to achieve equality and alter gender stereotypes, for example, the right to 480 days of parental leave in Sweden, which is shared between a child’s parents, promotes the view that child rearing is as much a father’s duty as it is a mother’s. We reflect on the importance of education to advance women, remarking on the need to focus on developing skills in science and technology, which increasingly shape global society. Tune in for more…

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