Feminist foreign policy

Feminist foreign policy, or feminist diplomacy, is a strategy integrated into the policies and practices of a state to promote gender equality, and to help improve women's access to resources, basic human rights, and political participation. It can often be bucketed into three categories: rights, resources, and representation. The concept was first coined and integrated into governmental policy by Margot Wallström, former Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister.[1][2] The objectives of feminist foreign policy include (but are not limited to):

  • The fight against sexual and sexist violence;[3]
  • The education of women and girls, and that of men and boys;[3]
  • The economic emancipation of women across the world;[3][4]
  • Involving women in politics and decision-making;[1]
  • Involving women in peace negotiations and treaties[1]

One action taken by Wallström was to create a global network of women peace negotiators, as women are often not invited to the negotiating table, despite their informal mediation roles in many communities. Including women in peace negotiations makes peace agreements more likely to last. Involving women in peace negotiations has been proven to have significant positive effects such as a lower likelihood of the country breaking out into conflict again, and greater buy-in from the population as a whole. In fact, a statistical analysis of 182 signed peace agreements between 1989 and 2011 revealed peace agreements where women are involved are "35% more likely to last for fifteen years".[5][6]

  1. ^ a b c "Une diplomatie féministe est-elle possible ?". France Culture (in French). 22 January 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  2. ^ "La Suède publie un "Manuel de diplomatie féministe" pour les nuls". France 24 (in French). 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Drian, Jean-Yves Le; Schiappa, Marlène. "Pour une diplomatie féministe". Libération (in French). Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Présidence française du G7 : le Conseil consultatif, fer de lance de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes". Ministère chargé de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de la diversité et de l'égalité des chances (in French). Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  5. ^ "New CFR Interactive Report Explores Women's Participation in Peace Processes". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ Marie O’Reilly, Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, and Thania Paffenholz, “Reimagining Peacemaking: Women’s Roles in Peace Processes,” New York: International Peace Institute, June 2015