Defining Feminist Foreign Policy

DEFINING FEMINIST FOREIGN POLICY By Lyric Thompson and Rachel Clement In 2014, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström For the present, however, a review of existing feminist announced the world’s first—and to date, only—explicitly foreign policies is limited to an exceedingly small sample, “feminist” foreign policy (FFP). It was an effort that, by within which, surprisingly, there is nary a definition to Wallström’s own admission, was met with “giggles” and be found. When pressed about this, officials from these suspicion at the time (Wallström, 2016). Indeed, it would countries have deflected: why expect governments to be four years until the next country would be brave define FFP if feminists haven’t? We take issue with this enough to dip a toe in this water, with a considerably position, as an increasing number of feminist thinkers are more narrowly-focused Feminist International Assistance trying to do just that. Perhaps it is fair to say that many Policy put forward by Canada in 2018. Following of the policy proposals put forward by feminist theorists suit, France updated their Gender and International and feminist movements lack a single, cohesive, definition Assistance Policy in 2018, and while it is not explicitly of what would constitute a feminist foreign policy and feminist in title, it is often referred to in shorthand as instead focus on challenging and changing the existing part of a “feminist diplomacy,” which we will attempt to paradigms to simply include women and gender in their unpack. France is also a country of particular interest theory and practice. Our goal in this paper is to pull from as it takes the Presidency of the G7, where they have resources put forward by feminist thinkers and attempt to announced a special focus on gender and campaigning contribute our own undoubtedly insufficient definition as organizations are pushing for it to place feminist a starting point for further dialogue. foreign policy squarely on its agenda. (Government of France, 2018). Iceland, who is ranked at the top of With important anniversaries of hallmark women’s rights gender equality lists, is also rumored to be considering and gender equality frameworks on the horizon such something that may be feminist in nature, if not in name as the 1994 International Conference on Population (World Economic Forum, 2017). and Development (ICPD) November, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Women in September, the 2000 United It is worth noting that in the United Kingdom, one of the Nations Security Resolution 1325 (UNSCR) on Women, political parties has pledged to adopt a feminist foreign Peace and Security in October and a milestone year for policy (Osamor, 2018), and a political party in Australia the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The moment is rumored to be considering the same. Depending is ripe for global feminist movement(s) to define our on the outcome of those elections, we may soon have priorities rather than ceding the space to governments to additional policies to examine in our review. In addition, do it for us. many organizations are pushing for France to not only tackle gender inequality while they hold the Presidency of the G7, but to place feminist foreign policy squarely on the agenda. Defining Feminist Foreign Policy 1 International Center for Research on Women The Current State of Affairs for Feminist equality is an objective in itself, but it is also essential Foreign Policy for achieving the Government’s other overall objectives, such as peace, security, and sustainable development” There are currently three countries whose foreign (Government of Sweden, 2018). policies are feminist in name or practice: Sweden, Canada, and France. Sweden’s is both the oldest and The degree to which Sweden’s practice lives up to its the most comprehensive, although all have roots in policy has been critiqued. On rights, it has been criticized ICPD, Beijing, UNSCR 1325 and other development for a binary focus on women rather than gender. The policy theories that focus on raising the status of women and largely ignores the rights and needs of LGBTQ individuals, mainstreaming gender. The Swedish approach is the with the exception of LGBTQ sexual reproductive health most comprehensive, extending to all domains of foreign and rights being noted in the health component of the policy and seeking to advance gender equality for its agenda. Positioning LGBTQ people as a key population in own sake, as well as in service to other foreign policy health interventions, rather than as part of their broad priorities. The Swedish framework encompasses aid, rights-based agenda is overly limiting and a missed trade, defense, development and diplomacy, the focus of opportunity for a feminist approach. And on issues of which has been telegraphed as “the three Rs:” women’s women’s rights, here too Sweden has come under fire Rights, backed with Resources and supporting increased for conducting arms trade with Saudi Arabia, whose female Representation. record on human rights generally and women’s rights in particular is notoriously poor (Vucetic, 2018). In light of this It bears noting that Sweden’s feminist approach to critique, Sweden did make a legislative change to arms’ policy is not limited to its foreign policy and includes a sales regulations in 2017, which “imply that the democratic domestic arm as well. Sweden consistently ranks in the status of the receiving country shall be a central condition top five for countries for gender equality in domestic for assessing whether or not to grant permission” practice in the areas of economic participation and (Government of Sweden, 2018). And yet, arms sales rose opportunity, educational attainment, health and political two percent in 2018 over the previous year on sales to empowerment (World Economic Forum, 2017). The Saudi Arabia alone (Nordström, 2018). Swedish Embassy has said of this grounding of foreign policy in domestic practice: “This has provided us with On representation, Sweden fares quite well: Sweden has sharper tools for pursuing gender equality issues in a long history of female foreign ministers and robust various forms for dialogue” (Government of Sweden, representation in parliament, a value it also appears 2018). It is worth noting that Sweden is the only country to model in its diplomatic engagements and foreign to have harmonization on gender equality in domestic assistance priorities. On resources, too, the story is a good and foreign policy and is an important principle that one: Sweden leads the world in levels of ODA earmarked merits deeper exploration than we have scope to do in for gender equality as a primary or significant objective, at this review, but one that we hope to explore in future close to 90%, although the precise dollar amount invested publications. in implementing the agenda is unclear. Apart from 200 million Krona that were committed towards the “She Within its feminist foreign policy framework, the Swedish Decides” initiative, no clear documentation appears to policy covers three domains: 1) foreign and security have been made public outlining the amount of funding policy; 2) development cooperation; and 3) trade and that has gone towards implementing the feminist foreign promotion policy1. With regard to gender, the policy policy between 2014-2018 (Government of Sweden, 2018). sees gender equality as both a priority objective as well as a tool to advance other foreign policy priorities. It’s not just the money that’s hard to follow: there is no The Swedish FFP seeks to apply “a systematic gender overarching mechanism to monitor the implementation equality perspective throughout foreign policy…gender of the policy’s goals, objectives and activities. While 1Sweden’s definition of trade promotion includes the promotion of both Swedish economic interests and Sweden’s image abroad, which they state that they hope will increase both exports and imports. 2 Defining Feminist Foreign Policy International Center for Research on Women there are specific metrics to track progress against many does not, however, promise to “disrupt” patriarchal power of the goals in the Feminist Foreign Policy under other structures in its assistance, as the Swedish one does, strategies, such as Sweden’s “National Action Plan on although it does include women’s political participation as Women, Peace and Security or the Strategy for 2016- a thematic priority area. For the most part, the Canadian 2020” or Sweden’s “Development Cooperation for Global approach couches its prioritization of gender equality Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Rights for 2018- as primarily in the service of broader economic and 2022,” for example, the policy itself lacks a monitoring security goals. According to the Government of Canada, and evaluation mechanisms. The four-year report on their policy “seeks to eradicate poverty and build a more progress appears to have been voluntary, rather than peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world. mandated, reporting. One recent publication, their Canada firmly believes that promoting gender equality Feminist Foreign Policy Handbook, highlights examples and empowering women and girls is the most effective of the policy’s accomplishments. The document was a approach to achieving this goal” (Government of voluntary and self-reported review of progress in the first Canada, 2018). three years, in diplomacy, defense and development, and was disseminated just prior to presidential elections The FIAP is organized thematically and includes six in 2018. The lack of clear and consistent metrics against priority areas: 1) Gender equality and women’s and girls’ which to monitor progress against the policy’s goals is an empowerment; 2) “human dignity,” which is an umbrella issue, but there is at least an effort to publicly document term that includes access to health care, education, impact, a key standard to model the feminist principles of nutrition, and the timely delivery of humanitarian transparency and accountability.

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