This article examines Sweden’s role in soft power diplomacy on issues such as women’s rights, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex (LGBTI) equality, and feminist foreign policy. Given that small nations are more vulnerable to international instability, leaders in Sweden demonstrate how international development and peace efforts are important for long-term national interest and security. Northern European nations are poised to take on the leadership mantle of human rights and other global policy issues that the Trump administration increasingly disparages. Leveraging small state’s theory, this research provides continued evidence that Sweden changes global human rights norms and wields enormous influence in international affairs.
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