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.

Sweden is the first country in the world to pursue a feminist foreign policy. 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.

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Stories From Sweden: The gender photographer

Tomas, also known as “The Gender Photographer", travels for a photoshoot with Johan Adolfsson, Head of Communications in Gävle county, Sweden.

During the assignment he takes us back in time, explaining how he started noticing that we portray men and women differently in media - poses, angles and lighting etc. - and how he decided to do something about it.

Do parents in Sweden really live in gender-equal relationships?

Read about Swedish dads and their role in gender equality from an American perspective.

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.

 

Feminist foreign policy leaves its mark on the world

Feminist foreign policy is an agenda for change. By achieving a more gender-equal world, we also contribute to peace, security and sustainable development. In recent years, Sweden has developed partnerships and dialogues for gender equality with a wide range of countries. This includes Tunisia, which is dedicated to the agenda and has committed to host a follow-up conference to the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality.

WikiGap takes wing

The global #WikiGap initiative has spread like wildfire across the Swedish foreign service. So far, more than 1 600 participants in more than 50 countries have written and edited around 4 000 Wikipedia articles in more than 30 different languages.

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.

Family-friendly policies a key driver of economic growth

The family-friendly policies introduced by Nordic countries over the past 50 years and associated increases in female employment have boosted growth in GDP per capita by between 10% and 20%, according to a new OECD report.

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WikiGap

#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. Together, we want to bring about a more gender-equal internet – and a more gender-equal world.

 

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