Feminism as Equality

I’m Matilda Karlsson, a 2019 alumna of the Presidential Precinct’s Global Leadership Forum (GLF).

I am forever grateful for being one of 23 selected for the GLF 2019; I will definitely carry the whole experience with me for the rest of my life. The combination of people from across the world, all with different backgrounds, cultures, and visions, made GLF a perfect foundation for fruitful discussions and great exchanges of knowledge. We were – and still are – united in a strong belief in making a change and strong desire to become good leaders.

Since the program, I have moved back to Sweden. My interests in international politics, security, and defense have driven me towards a new job with the Swedish Security & Defense Industry Association (SOFF) that I will start in the next month. My focus will be on the EU and NATO, building bridges between Swedish and international defense industry companies in order to move towards a more harmonized industry base in Europe. 

I’m a feminist and what makes me really tired is arguing with people who believe that being a feminist equals hating men. We need to educate our societies about what feminism really stands for – the equality between men and women. It’s simple like that. An ideology can always be highjacked and used in the wrong way, but at the end of the day, it’s what people decide to take in and believe in that really matters. We need to own the term feminist, take it back from people who are misusing the ideology and we need to make sure that people understand what it’s really about. Here’s where great and inclusive leadership is crucial for moving in the right direction.

I honestly wish we didn’t need a day like International Women’s Day, because women should be celebrated every day – in the security and defense industry and far beyond. Nevertheless, this should be considered as one of the most important days we celebrate annually.

We have many challenges ahead when it comes to building an equal society, but as I continue to meet with and learn from other leaders in experiences like GLF, I am convinced that we are on the right track.

—
This article is part of a series of alumnae spotlights in celebration of International Women’s Day in 2020. To read additional spotlights, visit https://presidentialprecinct.org/IWD/