Foreign policy as a tool for gender development and equality: the impact of Sweden's feminist foreign policy in South Africa

Abstract

In 2014, Sweden redefined their foreign policy objectives by expanding their policy application of feminist thought; consequentially introducing the world to its first feminist foreign policy. Sweden has made gender in international relations the focus of its foreign policy initiatives, and by so doing, laid the groundwork for the development of foreign policy that addresses gender issues on a global scale. However, what has yet to be determined is whether this groundbreaking policy has facilitated gender development and equality. Therefore, an examination of Sweden’s foreign policy is needed in order to determine its effectiveness in encouraging gender equality and development in societies around the world. This paper aims to answer the question: To what extent has Sweden’s feminist foreign policy been able to facilitate and engage with gender equality and development? It will explore the culture that led to such a unique foreign policy, its execution, and its evaluation. Furthermore, it will focus on Sweden South Africa relations in determining feminist foreign policy impact in sub-Saharan African societies. Through a critical realist perspective on process tracing, it will deductively link variables through causal inferences and links to determine the degree to which Sweden’s feminist foreign policy has impacted gender equality and development in South Africa