Some early and later female pioneers in physical education, dance and sports in Sweden : three different portraits

According to the latest Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum, Sweden is one of the most equal countries in the world (www.weforum.org). The equality is described by for example the proportion of women working outside the home and their economical distribution. The Swedish parliament has also one of the world’s highest representation numbers of women parliament members. To be able to understand this development of equality, factors like a long period with a social democracy government and a strong popular movement are often put forward as explanations for the Swedish gender policy development. But an unproven hypothesis is also that the early education of both men and women in bodily exercise and physical activity played a role in this development. The purpose of this chapter is to pay attention to three Swedish women who, through their engagement in physical culture and sports in different time periods, made difference to the lives for girls and women. The first pioneer, Martina Bergman Österberg, established a female Physical Education Teaching Training Program (PETE), the second, Ann Elefalk, broke the way for female coaches in a male dominated sport and the third Cecilia Dahlgren brought dance into compulsory schools in Sweden. The three portraits differ, but together they illustrate how education, passion and strategies can move mountains.Was presented at the ICSEMIS Congress September 2016: http://www.icsemis2016.org/