“A small step forward can be as important as a big one” – Parliamentary debate about the first abortion law in Sweden in 1938

“A small step forward can be as important as a big one”. So says the social democrat Agda Östlund in the Second Chamber of the Swedish Parliament on Wednesday May 18, 1938, when she justifies her support for a new abortion law.[1] The law gives the right to abortion for women with faltering health and many children, but not for those who suffer financial hardship or social disgrace after becoming pregnant out of wedlock. The debate, and the bill, is characterized by a spirit of cooperation and willingness to compromise. An exception is the conflict between the female members. Voting takes place by standing up and only a few votes against the bill. Previous research has not considered class as central to this debate. However, as we shall see, the debate is about the working-class woman. [1] Andra kammaren 1938:35, Ang. förslag till lag om avbrytande av havandeskap, p. 27.