In 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to declare a feminist foreign policy. The policy shall permeate the three policy areas encompassed by Swedish foreign policy – foreign and security policy, development cooperation, and trade and promotion policy. Eight years of implementation of the feminist foreign policy call for deepened knowledge concerning the policy’s effects on working methods and results within the gender equality area in Sweden’s partner countries.
The aim of this study is to systematically explore the gender equality work – normative as well as operational – that the feminist foreign policy has given rise to. By closely examining how the ambitions formulated in the feminist foreign policy have been translated into increased or improved promotion of gender equality by different Swedish actors in partner countries, EBA hopes that this study will contribute to learning regarding gender equality work at country level.
Specifically, the study seeks to answer:
- How the feminist foreign policy has been used to promote gender equality and what new working methods, tools and/or initiatives have been implemented.
- What results can be observed in relation to the policy’s six objective areas.
- What can be learnt in terms of effective forms of joint action and coordination between Swedish actors and policy areas within the gender equality area.
Authors:
Ann Towns, Professor, Political Science, University of Gothenburg
Katarzyna Jezierska, Senior Lecturer, University West
Elin Bjarnegård, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Department of Government, Uppsala University
Chair, reference group: Sara Johansson de Silva
Project manager at EBA: Helena Hede Skagerlind