A handful of other countries — France, Canada and, most recently, Mexico — have since adopted or announced intentions to adopt a feminist foreign policy, though with varying levels of … How is France working to further this feminist foreign policy? Report on feminist diplomacy by the High Council on Gender Equality (18 Nov. 20) Equality Week – Presentation of the Simone Veil Prize of the French Republic (3 Mar. abortions. Countries interact with one another through trade, diplomatic relations, and international institutions. It is a multidimensional policy with the goal of improving women’s and marginalized groups’ experiences and quality of life. France announced that it would assume a feminist foreign policy in early 2019. In every multilateral body, France champions policies in favour of women’s rights and human rights. To this end and at France’s instigation, a conference on girls’ education in Africa will be held in Paris on 5 July, tied in with the Sahel Alliance.This feminist foreign policy also means fostering women’s economic empowerment, and especially in Africa. A French Feminist Foreign Policy: France is the latest country to pledge allegiance to a gendered international focus. But France is also back for the wider world: gender equality now needs to become a great global cause. Furthering this feminist foreign policy means working to ensure that both girls and boys around the world get better access to education. This widespread focus is indicative that France is keen on placing women’s empowerment at the heart of all areas of their international agenda. France aims to support the empowerment of women around the world through combating sexual and gender-based violence, fighting for occupational equality and fighting for the education of girls. The key focuses of France’s feminist foreign policy are set out in France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022). Let us match the President’s commitment in favour of all girls and women, everywhere in the world. The Ministry has a pro-active policy to promote gender equality internally. France committed to fighting violence against women internationally (25 November 2019) An exemplary ministry. During the past year, France has been the driver of a new initiative: a genuine feminist foreign policy. Paris, 8 March 2019. France is back. The report was presented by German deputy Hannah Neumann, who has long pushed for a feminist foreign policy in Europe. A fundamental challenge of a feminist foreign policy agenda is defining it. Together./. And over the past seven years, Sweden, Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Mexico all have adopted or pledged to implement what they call a “feminist foreign policy.”. Feminist thinking about war and peace are very old but feminist advocacy around foreign policy may have been formally facilitated by the official creation of … The key focuses of France’s feminist foreign policy are set out in France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022). The French President created a grants budget in order to give international reach to the great cause of his term: gender equality. Setting an example in its internal practices is a key part of rolling out the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ feminist foreign policy. L. Thompson and R. Clement, (2019), Defining Feminist Foreign Policy, International Center for Research on Women (, 10. Feminist diplomacy, or feminist foreign policy, is a concept that calls for a state to promote values and good practices to achieve gender equality, and to guarantee all women enjoy their human rights, through diplomatic relations. Sweden was the first country to announce a feminist foreign policy agenda in 2014 and was followed by Canada in 2017, France and Luxembourg in 2019, and Mexico in 2020. A foreign policy to promote the education of girls and women, boys and men, throughout the world. [8] While it may come across as an ambitious goal to keep track of its metrics, France must be appreciated for their transparency and accountability mechanisms. (. In the past five years, the number of female French ambassadors has doubled, with 52 of them now representing France abroad. Canada adopted a feminist international assistance policy in 2017 and France followed in 2019. Consider that the Rwandan government’s accusation of French complacency in the 1994 genocide. This is why the government has tasked the AFD with reaching, by 2022, a total of €700 million annually in funding aimed primarily at reducing gender inequality. 20) Launch of the Simone Veil Prize of the French Republic (08.03.19) "Feminist foreign policy", Op-Ed by Jean-Yves Le Drian and Marlène Schiappa (08.03.19) The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) spearheads this commitment through its feminist foreign policy. Towards a truly feminist and transformative G7 (, 3. (Read), In 2018, France launched the third edition of its International Strategy for Gender Equality (2018-2022) as a “, During its tenure, France also launched the Biarritz partnership for Gender Equality which was proclaimed to be an ambitious compilation of progressive laws that are “most favourable” to women. While it is commendable to see the dedicated resources to women and girls’ holistic empowerment, it is simply a bare minimum to classify any and every policy stance that adheres specifically and only to women and girls, as a feminist policy. The key focuses of France’s feminist foreign policy are set out in France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022). “Feminist foreign policy”, Op-Ed by Jean-Yves Le Drian and Marlène Schiappa. Further, the emphasis on cisgender interpretations of feminism do not take into consideration the intersectional needs and discriminations faced by those who fall outside this umbrella.[9]. In a joint article by M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Mrs. Marlène Schiappa, Minister of State for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination, announced that France would be supporting women’s empowerment around the world by eliminating sexual and gender-based violence, fighting for equality in the workplace, improving access to education and empowering women economically.[3]. Feminist Foreign Policy ( Read) 4. By ICRW’s Lyric Thompson. In 2018, more than half of the projects financed worldwide by the AFD included a component focused on gender equality, showing France’s strong commitment to this issue. France hosted a Gender Equality Ministers meeting, which was attended by the Gender Equality Advisory Council that was established by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Just as think tanks will benefit from the perspectives of a more diverse set of experts , government agencies will benefit from increased diversity and an internal culture of equity and inclusion. The Ministry has a pro-active policy to promote gender equality internally. France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022) (, 4. Mexico has … Indeed, this is a debate that, 1. In this sense, it is commendable to see France follow through on its intention to extend its feminist diplomacy beyond the Global North. This situation has to change. These actions will be particularly powerful as we can build on genuine gender parity in high-ranking positions within France’s diplomatic apparatus. Alphabetical directory; Thematic directory; Research Units These rights are at the core of our foreign policy.”5 France’s feminist foreign policy, laid out in its “International Strategy on Gender Equality (2018–2022),” 6 is aligned with its 2016 strategy on population and SRHR, which states, “respecting women’s rights requires access to a full range of In the context of its G7 Presidency in 2019, France will be launching a unique initiative in the coming weeks: the Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality. France aims to support the empowerment of women around the world through combating sexual and gender-based violence, fighting for occupational equality and fighting for the education of girls. This is why the President of the Republic has announced the creation of a mechanism to monitor the Partnership’s commitments, in cooperation with the relevant international organizations. To that end, these nations have sought to place gender and women’s advancement at the center of every diplomatic decision, from trade agreements to treaty alliances, and from foreign aid to ambassadorial appointments. Countries interact with one another through trade, diplomatic relations, and international institutions. A feminist foreign policy that forgot no subject. She’s been known for her feminist work for several years and been interviewed by and … Nonetheless, it is a milestone that merits analysis as France is the first and only country from the United Nations Security Council’s Permanent five members to take this step. International Women’s Day – “Feminist foreign policy” – Joint article by M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Mme Marlène Schiappa, Minister of State for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination, in the daily newspaper Libération. Promoting gender equality and the role of women in society To achieve that, the President of the Republic has announced the creation of a financial instrument for women’s entrepreneurship, fostering occupational and pay equality between men and women. On March 8, 2019, International Women’s Day, France announced that it would be adopting a feminist foreign policy, joining the ranks of Canada and Sweden. Within its International Strategy framework, France committed to budget 50% of its public development aid and assistance (ODA) for gender policy and promoting gender equality objectives abroad. Setting an example in its internal practices is a key part of rolling out the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ feminist foreign policy. Within the government, the Ministry is also working towards increasing the representation of women in ambassadorial positions, providing training on gender issues for all ministry employees, and inculcating gender equality under all agencies of the Ministry. They will adopt a first statement committing to incorporate at least one of the laws in the compilation into national legislation in the coming years. The policy’s pillars are the following: a foreign policy with a gender perspective and feminist agenda abroad, a Foreign Ministry with gender parity and that is free of violence and safe for all, visible equality of women in the Foreign Ministry, and feminism within all areas of the Foreign Ministry. The policy… As foreign minister, one of Wallström first priorities was to establish a dialogue with the Swedish civil society, in this case meaning all the organisations active in foreign aid and foreign policy issues, many of them stemming from the rise of new movements in the 60s and 70s. “The rest of the world is moving forward on feminist foreign policy — not just Sweden but France and Mexico and Canada,” Markham said in the interview, naming a few governments. While a growing number of nations (Sweden, Canada, France, and Mexico) have recently adopted feminist foreign policies, the U.S. has not. The MEAE must set an example for feminist foreign policy. The efforts of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to foster equality in its workforce have been highlighted since 2017 by an AFNOR label for occupational gender equality. In May, the gender equality ministers of the G7 countries will meet in Paris. feminist foreign policy France is planting a stake in what remains relatively undefined territory. Countries outside of the G7, India, Senegal, Australia and Chile, The conclusion of the partnership meetings resulted in a, Additionally, France’s particular emphasis on providing feminist development assistance to African countries, in particular its former colonies, raises some eyebrows about France’s history as a coloniser country. FRANCE France has evolved its policy approach over several years, from an international development policy focused on gender equality, to “feminist diplomacy”, to an explicit commitment to “feminist foreign policy,” which encompasses international development and diplomacy.5 France practices feminist … L. Thompson (2019, May 20), A French Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy (Read), 6. L. Thompson and R. Clement, (2019, August), Is the future of feminist foreign policy feminist?, The Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations (Read), 9. Why are ex-colonies in Africa so important to France? A commitment to legislate is necessary but not sufficient in itself. Diplomatie: French Foreign Policy - Feminist Diplomacy ( Read) 2. Since certain words, especially adjectives, can take both forms according to the context, this measure is an inclusive step away from the patriarchal norm in which the masculine form is considered to be the default. The country’s policies will be reviewed by working groups and civil society actors according to its stated objectives and metrics. Additionally, France’s particular emphasis on providing feminist development assistance to African countries, in particular its former colonies, raises some eyebrows about France’s history as a coloniser country. What stands out in France’s feminist foreign policy is that it sets itself a framework to track its progress. The practice was initiated by Margot Wallström, former Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister. Diplomatie: French Foreign Policy - Feminist Diplomacy (, 2. This practice only reinforces the gender binary and is exclusionary to queer and gender non-confirming people. One of the only concrete measures that has been detailed under France’s feminist foreign policy is its feminist foreign assistance. The MEAE must set an example for feminist foreign policy. In this sense, it is commendable to see France follow through on its intention to extend its feminist diplomacy beyond the Global North. Mar 8, 2019 – France aims to support the empowerment of women around the world through combatting sexual and gender-based violence, fighting for occupational equality and fighting for the education of girls. Sweden, France, Mexico and Canada have already adopted a feminist foreign policy. Promoting gender equality and the role of women in society By deploying the resources necessary. Home The MEAE must set an example for feminist foreign policy. The key focuses of France’s feminist foreign policy are set out in France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022). While a growing number of nations (Sweden, Canada, France, and Mexico) have recently adopted feminist foreign policies, the U.S. has not. The Ministry has a pro-active policy to promote gender equality internally. This budget, €120 million, will be managed starting in 2019 by the French Development Agency (AFD), with the key goal of supporting feminist movements and NGOs, particularly in developing countries, to fight for the equality, rights and dignity of girls and women everywhere. The compilation of laws will then be presented and endorsed by the ministers. France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022) (Read), 4. Kristina is the co-founder and co-CEO of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, an award-winning human rights activist, and former advisor to the German Federal Foreign Office. The conclusion of the partnership meetings resulted in a Declaration on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. [8] It moves one step further from gender mainstreaming to include a human-rights based approach, ensuring that these fundamental rights form the foundation of all humanitarian and development policies. Today, Canada, France, and Mexico also have one. It is therefore clear that we are looking for “Action!”. Click here to read more. The key focuses of France’s feminist foreign policy are set out in France’s international strategy for gender equality (2018-2022). These rights are at the core of our foreign policy.”5 France’s feminist foreign policy, laid out in its “International Strategy on Gender Equality (2018–2022),” 6 is aligned with its 2016 strategy on population and SRHR, which states, “respecting women’s rights requires access to a full range of [5] President Emmanuel Macron launched a grant budget of €120 million which will be managed by the French Development Agency (AFD). Will it work? Feminist foreign policy is an agenda for change to strengthen the rights, representation and resources of all women and girls. It is time for the US to join its neighbors. A foreign policy to combat sexual and sexist violence. Feminist foreign policy as political program builds upon a framework of human rights, women’s rights, and the WPS agenda. A new paper, Toward a Feminist Foreign Policy in the United States, was recently released.With the launch of Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy in 2014, Canada’s Feminist Foreign Assistance Policy in 2017 and France’s Feminist Foreign Policy in 2019, a group of Washington-based foreign policy experts and advocates for global gender equality came together over the course of …