Sweden’s announcement of a foreign policy with deeply entrenched feminist values is a positive response to the changing world order and Russia’s antagonism in the European sphere. Alongside Switzerland, Sweden is famously the epitome of neutrality in foreign affairs, which complements its unwavering support for international law. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström has announced that the feminist foreign policy is destined to become another defining characteristic of the nation as it navigates issues of the refugee crisis, tense relations with Russia and the highly anticipated American presidential election in November.

Sweden is renowned for being a progressive nation in terms of economic, social and cultural development. However, Wallström’s feminist foreign policy has further heightened Sweden’s profile as leading political thought in twenty-first century world politics. Wallström states that the key to overcoming political issues of the epoch is necessitating the role of women in both peace and conflict. In 2015 Wallström asserted that

‘striving toward gender equality is not only a goal in itself, but also a precondition for achieving our wider foreign development and security-policy objectives.’

The incorporation of feminism into foreign policy is revolutionary and is reflective of evolving social values and community expectations. The United Nations’ advocacy for gender equality has thus become woven into the Swedish political arena as the policy embodies principles of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW 1979). Furthermore, through a human rights perspective, the feminist foreign policy complies with article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The success of the feminist foreign policy is already evident in the European Council on Foreign Relations rating Sweden second in influencing European foreign policy in 2015. With Sweden’s strong focus on multilateral international organisations, this is a significant achievement that is representative of the need to entrench feminism in politics.

However, Wallström has faced criticism both in Stockholm and abroad as political leaders and diplomats dismiss her feminist foreign policy as naïve and reflective of Nordic idealism. Last year, Swedish condemnation of the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia culminated in severing ties between the nations, specifically Saudi Arabia briefly recalling its ambassador as well as refusing to issue new visas to Swedish business travellers. Such a drastic response to Wallström’s revolutionary policy reveals that the introduction of feminism into foreign policy is a contentious decision that will polarise countries. The United Arab Emirates followed Saudi Arabia’s example by also recalling its ambassador to Sweden, an act that is symbolic in the international arena of hostility and distrust. Sweden’s feminist foreign policy has been additionally contentious with Turkey as Wallström has been vocal about President Erdogan’s increasingly autocratic leadership following the recent failed coup. Wallström states that Erdogan’s dangerous consolidation of power within Turkey, combined with the reinstatement of the death penalty, are significantly reducing prospects of the country attaining membership of the European Union.

Within Sweden, divisions over the feminist foreign policy have emerged due to the incidents with both Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Many diplomats and members of parliament fear that Wallström is compromising Swedish national interests and values with her feminist foreign policy. Despite persistent requests for Wallström to issue an apology to nations such as Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Minister remains undeterred as such actions would undermine the core values of the foreign policy. Professors of international relations, including Robert Egnell, propose that Wallström’s bold policy is unfit for the dynamism of power relations in global affairs and highlights the policy’s insufficiency on the world stage.

Yet both Wallström and Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist remain confident in the policy and the positive impacts it’s implementation will bring at local, regional, and international levels. Both Swedish ministers dismiss military intervention as short-term solutions to disputes between nations, insisting that diplomatic negotiations are key to maintaining peace and preventing conflict amidst the disorder of foreign affairs. As a self-professed humanitarian superpower, Sweden is leading the world in terms of foreign aid, as it is one of Europe’s largest per capita donors. Perhaps Sweden’s promotion of international law is aligned with the implications of being a smaller country within the history of the European continent. Moreover, Wallström has formerly acted as a European Union commissioner and the first United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in conflict. These positions have significantly influenced Wallström, as evident in Sweden’s feminist foreign policy, as currently less than one in ten peace negotiators are women. Wallström is therefore attempting to overturn the status quo of the non-involvement of women in international affairs, a policy aligned with Hillary Clinton famously stating that ‘women’s rights are human rights.’ Following this, Wallström has proposed to the European Union that a special representative for women’s issues should be appointed to adequately reflect changing social values and improve the prospects of maintaining peace worldwide. Wallström’s focus–not just on Sweden, but on the international arena–is astronomical and should set an important precedent for other nations to follow.

The revolutionary idea of feminist foreign policy is a significant turning point in world politics as a national government has finally incorporated crucial human rights standards into practice. Although leaders of the European Union demonstrated their support for the United Nations ‘He for She’ campaign on this year’s International Women’s Day, it is interesting to note the discrepancy between promises and action. In Australia, the issue of the gender pay gap is contributing to gender inequality as it has been calculated by the Australian Human Rights Commission that the average Australian woman has to work an extra 66 days annually in order to earn the same as the average man. It is therefore necessary for all political leaders to pay close attention to the highly progressive developments of Sweden in terms of embedding fundamental women’s rights into a domestic framework. Sweden’s feminist foreign policy must therefore be congratulated, as Wallström’s vision for gender equality in international affairs is both a noble and essential goal in order to promote peace worldwide.