The WikiGap event in Paris.
Feminist foreign policy

Sweden is the first country to pursue a feminist foreign policy

“Throughout the world, women are neglected in terms of resources, representation and rights. This is the simple reason why we are pursuing a feminist foreign policy – with full force, around the world.” (The Government’s Statement of Foreign Policy 2018)

Feminist foreign policy is an agenda for change. By achieving a more gender-equal world, we also contribute to peace, security and sustainable development. The aim is to contribute to gender equality and the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls.

This work takes place with a focus on the three Rs – rights, representation and resources, which are anchored in the fourth R, reality.

The policy was launched in October 2014 and a follow-up by the Swedish Foreign Service has revealed an intensive implementation process that has made its mark at multilateral, regional and bilateral level.

We will continue to pursue our policy with full force.

"Every G7 country should have a feminist foreign policy"

The members of the G7’s Gender Equality Advisory Council are urging countries to ditch archaic and discriminatory laws and promote empowerment.

Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy Illustrated

“Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy is not a replacement or an addition to foreign policy; it is about applying a gender equality perspective across all foreign policy matters.”

The Consul General of Sweden in Istanbul, Therese Hydén, explains what Sweden’s feminist foreign policy means in practice.

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WikiGap has brought us 27 000 articles closer to a gender-equal internet

Last year, the first major WikiGap initiative was carried out at some 50 missions abroad around the world. WikiGap has now spread beyond the Swedish Foreign Service and generated more than 32 000 new and expanded Wikipedia articles on prominent women in various fields. Meet one of the most productive editors: Andriy Hrytsenko from Ukraine.

So much more to be done

Sweden has the lowest female-to-male ratio of average time spent on unpaid domestic, care, and volunteer work. Good, of course, but there is more to be done. The new report State of the World's Fathers has a big ambition: helping to achieve equality in unpaid care work – and, by extension, equality between women and men, girls and boys – at home, at work, and in broader society. Check it out! 

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Pop star Robyn wants to empower women

Swedish pop star Robyn wants to get more girls into technology. That’s why she teamed up with KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and founded Tekla, a festival that provides a safe space for young girls to dive into the world of technology.

Efforts to combat genital mutilation and insecurity yield results in Sudan

Sudan is one of the most difficult countries in the world for children to grow up in. UNICEF is working to prevent the genital mutilation of girls and to create safe environments for children who grow up in conflict zones or as refugees.

Sweden is a major donor to the programme, which reached 580,000 children in 2017.

Innovative faith partnerships are key to realising sexual and reproductive rights

There are growing reactionary faith movements limiting women's rights and choices, as well as more progressive faith groups acting as counter-movements. Faith-partnerships is one way to support Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) globally.

The Swedish government agency Sida and the UNFPA recently co-hosted an event on SRHR and religion, where civil society, UN bodies, academia and faith-based actors discussed innovative methods.

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Let's close the internet gender gap

Together, we want to bring about a more gender-equal internet – and a more gender-equal world. #WikiGap is a campaign that gathers people around the world to add more content to Wikipedia about women figures, experts and role models in various fields. 

 

Up close and personal: Agda Rössel

She was the world’s first woman ambassador to the United Nations when she took office, at the height of the Cold War. Yet Agda Rössel remains relatively little known – in some ways forgotten.

We want to change this. Here is the story of Adga Rössel – pioneer and role model.

Get inspired by the new handbook for feminist foreign policy

In October 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to launch a feminist foreign policy.

Now, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched a handbook for Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. The handbook is a resource for international work relating to gender equality and all women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights.

 

A feminist government

Sweden has the first feminist government in the world. This means that gender equality is central to the Government’s priorities – in decision-making and resource allocation.

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