Sweden's 'Feminist' Government Faces Criticism for Wearing Hijabs in Iran

An Linde, Sweden's Minister for Trade, and several other female politicians from the government have faced criticism on social media for wearing headscarves in front of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. This comes as the Swedish government claims its foreign policy is a 'feminist foreign policy.' Ms. Linde, who traveled to Iran last week with a group of women cabinet members, wore a headscarf during official meetings with Rouhani. In one of the photos released from these meetings, the Swedish women, dressed in manteaus and wearing headscarves, pass in front of Rouhani. The publication of this photo and others from the meetings sparked various reactions in Sweden and among Persian-speaking social media users. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO tasked with monitoring human rights laws established by the United Nations, condemned the actions of the Swedish officials, calling it a 'shame parade' and stating that 'this contradicts the Swedish government's promise to promote gender equality internationally and to adopt a feminist foreign policy.' In Iran, wearing the hijab is mandatory for both local women and foreign visitors. While it is not new for female foreign diplomats to wear the hijab, critics argue that the Swedish women's decision to wear it highlights the hypocrisy of a country that claims to be the world's first feminist government. The official website of the Swedish government states that 'a feminist government ensures that gender equality is promoted at both national and international levels.' It also mentions that 'equality between women and men is one of the fundamental objectives of Sweden's foreign policy.' The head of the NGO UN Watch stated that if human rights truly matter to Sweden, it should not support a government that treats its citizens ruthlessly and supports genocide in Syria. Hillel Neuer believes that if the Swedish government is committed to women's rights, it should not send female ministers to a misogynistic country like Iran. However, Ms. Linde insists that wearing the hijab was her own choice. She stated that she would not wear a headscarf during her upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, where it is not mandatory for foreign women. On Saturday, the Swedish government issued a statement emphasizing close relations with Iran without mentioning human rights conditions or the status of women. Some social media users pointed to a recent photo of Isabella Lövin, Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for International Development Cooperation, signing an environmental law alongside seven female colleagues. Many interpreted this photo as a response to a photo of Donald Trump signing an executive order banning funding to non-governmental abortion organizations, where only seven male aides stood beside him. Social media users argue that the photo of the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden with Swedish politicians wearing hijabs in Iran is contradictory.