Gunilla Ekberg is a Swedish lawyer. From 2002 to 2006, she was employed at the Ministry of Industry

Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications (Sweden)

The Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications is a ministry within the government of Sweden. Its areas of responsibility include business development and competition, electronic communications, energy, forestry, information technology , postal communications and cashier service, primary...

 as the Swedish Government's expert on prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

 and trafficking in human beings.

Her education includes a degree in Social Work

Socionom

A socionom , sosionom or sosionomi is a person with a degree in social work from a Scandinavian university. Law, sociology and psychology are also part of the degree. The course is 3.5–4 years long...

 from Lund University

Lund University

Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...

 and a law degree from the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

 in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. She took out Canadian citizenship in 2003.

As an outspoken advocate for the unique Swedish approach to prostitution

Prostitution in Sweden

The laws on prostitution in Sweden make it illegal to buy sexual services, but not to sell them. Pimping, procuring and operating a brothel are also illegal...

, she has been a controversial person. In 2005 she was criticized for allegedly making threats against the reporter Evin Rubar in the documentary The Gender War

The Gender War

The Gender War is a controversial documentary in two parts by journalist Evin Rubar on alleged radical feminism in Sweden and its influence on Swedish politics...

, a controversial programme about radical feminism

Radical feminism

Radical feminism is a current theoretical perspective within feminism that focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption that "male supremacy" oppresses women...

.
This led to calls for her resignation, but Equality Minister

Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality (Sweden)

The Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality is a ministry of the Government Offices of Sweden. Its areas of responsibility include consumer affairs, democracy issues, gender equality, human rights, integration issues, metropolitan affairs, minority issues, non-governmental organizations and...

 (Jämställdhetsminister) Jens Orback

Jens Orback

Jens Olov Heinrich Orback is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He was Minister for Democracy, Metropolitan Affairs, Integration and Gender Equality in the Ministry of Justice in the Cabinet of Göran Persson ....

 defended her.

Subsequently she became Co-Executive Director to the lobby group CATW in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, from which she continued to campaign against prostitution around the world.