Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon

Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (SKBL), known in English as Biographical Dictionary of Swedish Women, is a Swedish biographical dictionary of Swedish women. It was started in 2018 when 1,000 articles about Swedish women were published in Swedish and English. There are plans to publish a further 1,000 articles in 2020[1] about women who have actively contributed to Swedish society. This activity has been financed by Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation.[1]

From the first presentation of the dictionary 2018

SKBL is produced by the University of Gothenburg and the articles are written by experts and researchers. The dictionary contains biographies of women who, across several centuries and in many different ways, have contributed to society’s development, both within Sweden and beyond. The entries, based on a mix of existing and brand-new research, were mainly selected with an emphasis on societal significance rather than personal fame. The selection includes female pioneers and women who fought for gender equality as well as those of historical significance. Finnish women are also included for the pre-1809 era.

The project leaders are Lisbeth Larsson and Maria Sjöberg. The articles have been translated into English by Alexia Grosjean. The database and the dictionary form part of KvinnSam, the National Resource Library for Gender Studies at the University of Gothenburg.

Lisbeth Larsson, who is a professor of literary studies, has since 2010 tried to create a more general dictionary with a focus on women to give a fairer picture of history (together with Inger Eriksson, operations manager at KvinnSam). The original plan was to publish a book but it was later decided to compile a database which could be accessed as a web-based dictionary.[2]