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To Practice What You Preach : Sweden's Feminist Foreign Policy in Diplomatic Work

Rosén Sundström, Malena LU and Elgström, Ole LU (2025) p.19-36
Abstract (Swedish)
Between 2014 and 2022, Sweden introduced a feminist foreign policy (FFP), which entailed a “systematic gender equality perspective throughout foreign policy”. This chapter focuses on how FFP was practiced and implemented by officials at Swedish Embassies around the world. Using a framework of practice theory, implementation theory and feminist institutionalism, the overarching questions guiding the study concern how FFP was conducted in diplomatic work and to what extent it was implemented. Based on in-depth interviews, the main findings are that: 1) the FFP demonstrated a relatively high degree of successful implementation 2) the implementation of the policy was guided by a pragmatic approach: the word “feminism” was not always used,... (More)
Between 2014 and 2022, Sweden introduced a feminist foreign policy (FFP), which entailed a “systematic gender equality perspective throughout foreign policy”. This chapter focuses on how FFP was practiced and implemented by officials at Swedish Embassies around the world. Using a framework of practice theory, implementation theory and feminist institutionalism, the overarching questions guiding the study concern how FFP was conducted in diplomatic work and to what extent it was implemented. Based on in-depth interviews, the main findings are that: 1) the FFP demonstrated a relatively high degree of successful implementation 2) the implementation of the policy was guided by a pragmatic approach: the word “feminism” was not always used, rather, the content of the policy mattered more than the packaging and 3) the practice of FFP was very sensitive to context, with the effect that different aspects of FFP were in focus in different locations. Sweden’s previous work on gender equality in foreign policy helped officials to adjust their practices to the more ambitious framework of FFP. Based on our research on Sweden’s FFP, we argue that that a feminist agenda, such as a feminist climate policy, can be put into practice, if the political will exists, if clear goals and instruments for a well-structured implementation process are provided and if those “doing” the policy on the ground are closely involved in the process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Feminist Climate Policy in Industrialised States : A Gender-Just Climate Emergency Response - A Gender-Just Climate Emergency Response
editor
Buckingham, Susan ; Hultman, Martin ; Magnusdottir, Gunnhildur Lily and Morrow, Karen
edition
1
pages
18 pages
publisher
Routledge
ISBN
9781003461005
DOI
10.4324/9781003461005-3
project
Sweden as a Norm Entrepreneur: The Case of the Feminist Foreign Policy
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
15931e06-f36b-4391-a0e3-30d6b292d2e2
date added to LUP
2025-08-21 17:05:39
date last changed
2025-10-09 12:41:39
@inbook{15931e06-f36b-4391-a0e3-30d6b292d2e2,
  abstract     = {{Between 2014 and 2022, Sweden introduced a feminist foreign policy (FFP), which entailed a “systematic gender equality perspective throughout foreign policy”. This chapter focuses on how FFP was practiced and implemented by officials at Swedish Embassies around the world. Using a framework of practice theory, implementation theory and feminist institutionalism, the overarching questions guiding the study concern how FFP was conducted in diplomatic work and to what extent it was implemented. Based on in-depth interviews, the main findings are that: 1) the FFP demonstrated a relatively high degree of successful implementation 2) the implementation of the policy was guided by a pragmatic approach: the word “feminism” was not always used, rather, the content of the policy mattered more than the packaging and 3) the practice of FFP was very sensitive to context, with the effect that different aspects of FFP were in focus in different locations. Sweden’s previous work on gender equality in foreign policy helped officials to adjust their practices to the more ambitious framework of FFP. Based on our research on Sweden’s FFP, we argue that that a feminist agenda, such as a feminist climate policy, can be put into practice, if the political will exists, if clear goals and instruments for a well-structured implementation process are provided and if those “doing” the policy on the ground are closely involved in the process.}},
  author       = {{Rosén Sundström, Malena and Elgström, Ole}},
  booktitle    = {{Feminist Climate Policy in Industrialised States : A Gender-Just Climate Emergency Response}},
  editor       = {{Buckingham, Susan and Hultman, Martin and Magnusdottir, Gunnhildur Lily and Morrow, Karen}},
  isbn         = {{9781003461005}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{19--36}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{To Practice What You Preach : Sweden's Feminist Foreign Policy in Diplomatic Work}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003461005-3}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781003461005-3}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}