Sweden Drops ‘Feminist Foreign Policy’

Facts

• Sweden’s new right-wing government on Tuesday announced it will scrap the country’s “feminist foreign policy,” calling it counterproductive. It was first launched in 2014 by former foreign minister Margot Wallström.
• The policy was designed to advance gender equality as a basic goal of Sweden’s foreign policy. It was seen as a condition for attaining the Nordic nation’s objectives of achieving peace, security, and sustainable development.
• New foreign minister Tobias Billström said, “Gender equality is a core value for Sweden and this government, but we will not conduct a feminist foreign policy,” adding that “labels on things have a tendency to cover up the content.”
• Billström suggested that Sweden should instead focus on its NATO accession process, including advancing the three-party agreement between itself, Turkey, and Finland regarding security issues of concern to Ankara.
• In a 2021 report, Sweden said it has contributed to gender equality achievements in Moldova, Somalia, and Columbia, as well as laws in 20 countries related to gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.
• Several publications on Sweden’s gender equality goals were in the process of being taken down from the foreign ministry’s website on Tuesday. Billström said there will be no changes to any other foreign policy documents.

Sources: The Guardian, euractiv, BBC News, and Fontoura.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Euractiv. Scrapping the “feminist” part of Sweden’s foreign policy will make very little difference in national security realities. There are pressing issues concerning NATO — including complex dynamics with Turkey and Kurdish groups that must be worked out for accession to be successful. By scrapping this label, Sweden’s foreign policy remains prioritized but loses the hypocrisy.
• Left narrative, as provided by Europe-cities. It’s not surprising that Sweden’s far-right government — led by a party formed out of a neo-Nazi movement — is tearing down the nation’s groundbreaking foreign policy achievement on gender equity. All the successes this policy has built are being thrown out the window in the name of reactionary conservatism.