Feminist Foreign Policy : the new diplomatic tool for efficiency?

Temps de lecture : 5 minutes

Feminist Foreign Policy : the new diplomatic tool for efficiency??

16.07.2020

Written by Aline Nanko Samaké
Translated by Julie Penverne

In October 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to launch a feminist foreign policy which views gender equality as a matter of international peace and security. This new approach marked the emergence of women’s rights as a guiding threads of diplomatic action, implementing the promotion of a systematic application of a gender equality perspective in all foreign policy. How does the conceptualization of this new approach propose a paradigm shift in international relations and invites to a rethinking of foreign policy towards a more effective and inclusive approach?

A recent concept

The first attempt to define feminist foreign policy dates back to 2018, when the Swedish Foreign Ministry, headed by Margot Wallström, published the Feminist Foreign Policy Handbook^[1]Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. (2019). Handbook Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. Stockholm: Ministry for Foreign Affairs.. ^]. The handbook seeked to identify the principles and working methods that enable the pursuit of gender equality through diplomatic tools. Since then, two researchers, Lyric Thompson and Rachel Clement, have attempted to give an academic definition to this diplomatic approach: “Feminist foreign policy is the policy of a state that defines its interactions with other states and movements in a way that prioritizes gender equality and enshrines the human rights of women and other traditionally marginalized groups, allocates significant resources to the realization of this vision, and seeks, through its implementation, to disrupt patriarchal and male power structures through all its levers of influence (aid, trade, defence and diplomacy), informed by the voices of feminist activists and movements.^[2]Lyric Thompson & Rachel Clement. (2019). Définir une politique étrangère féministe. International Center for Research of Women. »

The themes addressed by feminist foreign policy include the fight against physical, psychological and sexual violence, the promotion of women and girls’ participation in conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding, the improvement of their participation in all spheres of society, respect for their economic rights, access to education and issues relating to sexual and reproductive rights and health^[3]Lyric Thompson & Rachel Clement. (2019). Définir une politique étrangère féministe. International Center for Research of Women.

The Swedish framework proposes three pillars for the implementation of such a policy^[4]Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. (2019). Handbook Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. Stockholm: Ministry for Foreign Affairs. :

• Human rights: promote the rights of women and girls and combat all forms of violence and discrimination ;
• Representation: promote the participation of women and girls at all levels of decision-making processes and to foster the emergence of women’s representatives as actors in foreign policy and civil society;
• Resources: allocate the necessary funds for the promotion of gender equality and opportunities

Finally, Margot Wallström advocates the development of tools to evaluate the concrete impacts of this approach aimed at changing behaviour, thus insisting on the necessity to report the effectiveness of such policies^[5]Olivia Gesbert. (2020, January 22). Une diplomatie féministe est-elle possible ? Available at France culture : … Continue reading.

The need for a feminist foreign policy

In 2018, men could legally prevent their wives from working in 18 countries, 59 countries had no laws prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace and 45 countries did not have legislation to protect women from domestic violence^[6]The World Bank. (2018). Women, Business and the Law. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.. Looking at access to resources, we find that women own less than 20 per cent of the world’s land and the gender  wage gap^[7]UN Women, Peace and Security Section. (2015). Preventing conflict, transforming justice and securing the peace. New York: UN Women. remains 23 per cent globally^[8]Organisation internationale du travail. (2016, May). Info Story – La discrimination entre hommes et femmes par l’égalité salariale. Available at … Continue reading.

With regard to gender-based violence, 243 million women and girls have been victims of sexual and/or physical violence at the hand of their partners in the last 12 months and every year 12 million underage girls are forcibly married^[9]UN Women. (2020). COVID-19 and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. New York: UN Women.. As for women and girls’ access to basic services such as education or health,132 million girls aged between 6 and 17 were still deprived of school in 2019^[10]Plan International. (2019, September 27). Causes et conséquences des discriminations des filles face à l’éducation. Available at … Continue reading. Furthermore, approximately 830 women die every day in developing countries due to complications related to pregnancy or childbirth ^[11]Organisation mondiale de la santé. (2019, Septembre 19). Mortalité maternelle. Disponible sur https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality .

The discrimination faced by women and girls around the world is numerous and multidimensional: socio-economic inequalities, discriminatory laws, lack of legal protection, denial of access to basic services, exposure to all types of violence, etc. It is with goal of reducing the vulnerability of women and girls to these inequalities that feminist foreign policy seeks to make gender equality the guiding principle of its action.

While such equality is an objective in itself, it is also recognized as a determining factor in the achievement of general objectives such as peace, security and sustainable development. For instance, in 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 recognised the importance of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and guaranteed their protection and full participation in peace agreements. Beyond the symbolism and the democratic issue of women representing 50% of the population participating in decision-making, this is a pragmatic strategy that has a positive impact on peacebuilding. Feminist diplomacy ambassador Margot Wallström, former Swedish Foreign Minister and initiator of the concept, rightly recognises that when women are involved in delegations negotiating peace agreements, more options are offered and peace agreements are respected for longer. Yet less than 10% of peace agreements are signed by women^[12]Olivia Gesbert. (2020, Janvier 22). Une diplomatie féministe est-elle possible ? Available on France culture : … Continue reading.

This does not entail that foreign policy should only concern women, but rather that different governments should be invited to adopt a perspective that seeks to correct historical patriarchal power imbalances. Equally, it is not a question of asserting that women have intrinsic and cultural qualities that make them better able to deal with international issues, but rather of breaking a persistent male self-centredness. A study conducted by the United Nations Peace and Security Section on 31 major peace processes at the United Nations between 1992 and 2011 found that only 9% of negotiators were women^[13]Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. (2019). Handbook Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. Stockholm: Ministry for Foreign Affairs..

Therefore, feminist foreign policy implies taking gender equality to the highest leve
l by addressing it not as a sectoral issue but as a cross-cutting international issue that applies to all international negotiations, bilateral discussions and international solidarity actions and financing.  In 2019, the 45th edition of the Group of 7 (G7) Summit, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States initiated the Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality^[14]Jean-Yves Le Drian et Marlène Schiappa. (2019, Mars 7). Pour une diplomatie féministe. Available on Libération : https://www.liberation.fr/debats/2019/03/07/pour-une-diplomatie-feministe_1713657 . This partnership symbolises these countries’ willingness to commit to a more gender-sensitive foreign policy, following in the footstep of Sweden, Canada and France. Despite this declaration of intent, the implemented policies are still timid and the allocated budgets are too unambitious. Nevertheless, the promoter of feminist foreign policy Margot Wallström remains optimistic: “In the beginning, you are ignored. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight against you. And finally you win. I think that’s the fate of feminist diplomacy.^[15]Olivia Gesbert. (2020, Janvier 22). Une diplomatie féministe est-elle possible ? Available on France culture : … Continue reading ».

References

Lyric Thompson & Rachel Clement. (2019). Définir une politique étrangère féministe. International Center for Research of Women.

Jean-Yves Le Drian et Marlène Schiappa. (2019). Pour une diplomatie féministe. Libération .

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. (2019). Handbook Sweden’s feminist foreign policy . Stockholm: Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Olivia Gesbert. (2020, Janvier 22). Une diplomatie féministe est-elle possible ? Récupéré sur France culture: https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/la-grande-table-idees/une-diplomatie-feministe-est-elle-possible

Organisation internationale du travail. (2016, Mai). Info Story – La discrimination entre hommes et femmes par l’égalité salariale. Récupéré sur https://www.ilo.org/infostories/fr-FR/Stories/discrimination/tackling-sex-discrimination-through-pay-equity#introduction

Organisation mondiale de la santé. (2019, Septembre 19 ). Mortalité maternelle. Récupéré sur https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality

Plan International . (2019, Septembre 27). Caauses et conséquences des discriminations des filles face à l’éducation. Récupéré sur https://www.plan-international.fr/info/actualites/news/2016-09-23-causes-et-consequences-des-inegalites-des-filles-face-leducation

The World Bank. (2018). Women, Business and the Law. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.

UN Women. (2020). COVID-19 and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. New York: UN Women.

UN Women, Peace and Security Section. (2015). Preventing conflict, transforming justice and securing the peace. New York: UN Women.

To quote this article : Aline Nanko Samaké, “Feminist Foreign Policy : the new diplomatic tool for efficiency?”, Gender in Geopolitics Institute, 16.07.2020.