Paradigm Shift in the Discontinuation of the Feminist Approach in Sweden’s Foreign Policy

This study examines the paradigm shift in the discontinuation of the feminist approach within Sweden’s foreign policy. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach and The findings indicate that although the Ulf Kristersson government removed the “feminist” label, it did not fully eliminate the institutionalized pro-gender commitments. Through the Neo-Feminist Pragmatism framework, the core principles of rights representation resources were reformulated into a more pragmatic and instrumental “inclusive security” approach, accompanied by reduced budget allocation and lower priority for gender-related programs such as Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The study concludes that this transformation reflects the tension between Nordic feminist normative idealism and the imperatives of geopolitical realpolitik. Gender equality values persist in adaptive and contextual forms, although they have partially lost their transformative power as the central framework of Swedish foreign policy.