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Alva Myrdal - the woman who made modern Sweden

The story of Swedish social reformer, Alva Myrdal, who helped to build Sweden's welfare state and was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1982 for her work on nuclear disarmament.

In 1982, the Swedish social reformer, writer and diplomat, Alva Myrdal, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on nuclear disarmament. She was only the 7th woman in history to win the award, which she received jointly with Mexican diplomat Alfonso Garcia Robles. In the 1930s and 40s, Alva Myrdal had, with her husband Gunnar Myrdal, developed the ideas behind Sweden's famed welfare state which had transformed Sweden into the modern country we know today. She was also the first woman to be given a senior post at the United Nations. Alva Myrdal's daughter Kaj Foelster has been telling Louise Hidalgo about her mother's life and work.

Picture: Alva Myrdal in 1976 on the publication of her book The Game of Disarmament (credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

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9 minutes

Last on

Thu 18 Mar 2021 03:50GMT

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  • Wed 17 Mar 2021 08:50GMT
  • Wed 17 Mar 2021 12:50GMT
  • Wed 17 Mar 2021 18:50GMT
  • Wed 17 Mar 2021 23:50GMT
  • Thu 18 Mar 2021 03:50GMT

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