Reflections on Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellowship What does it take to realize an intersectional feminist foreign policy that benefits countries in the Global North and Global South? How can we prevent feminist foreign policy from turning into a branding tool with little substance or transformative potential? Why is it necessary for democratic governments to pursue a feminist foreign policy in an increasingly authoritarian world? These are some of the questions that a group of young feminists fellows set out to answer during a study tour in the United States organized by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Washington, DC office. Their takes on feminist foreign policy range from applying a human security lens to the war in Ukraine, to rectifying power imbalances that stem from colonial legacies, to bringing all allies, including men, into the conversation. Read their inspiring and thoughtful analysis here.
Challenges to a coherent implementation of a Feminist Foreign Policy Commentary Feminist Foreign Policy is about more than giving women power - creating the space for intersectional understandings of power imbalances is at its core. By Sabrine Dao
German Feminist Foreign Policy - Speech by Luise Amtsberg Speech The German Federal Government presented its Feminist Foreign Policy strategy on 1 March 2023. This ten-point strategy was discussed by Luise Amtsberg, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance, during of the colloquium "Feminist Foreign Policy: from ambitions to actions" of 6 April 6 2023 organised by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Paris office and the association Women In International Security - WIIS France.
Exploring intersections: a feminist perspective on digital and foreign policy Commentary Not even ten years after being mentioned for the very first time, feminist foreign policy has made it into the political mainstream: the guidelines ‘Shaping a Feminist Foreign Policy’ of the German Federal Foreign Office outline a strategic shift in German foreign politics. At the same time, digital policy has become more and more international. By Elisa Lindinger and Julia Kloiber
Feminist foreign policy Dossier Diversity in political decision-making processes contributes to more successful and sustainable policies and guarantees greater responsiveness to the people’s needs. However, women and marginalised groups still have limited access to the decision-making process, especially in the field of foreign and security policy. Feminist foreign policy offers a new approach by putting human security at its core and aiming at dismantling oppressive and discriminatory power structures, addressing the experiences and needs of all parts of society, especially of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Germany's feminist foreign and development policy: Need for changes in relations with the South Caucasus Analysis The German government is in the process of spelling out a feminist foreign and development policy. This article, aimed at contributing to policy changes based on the new paradigm, suggests how Germany’s policy towards Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, whose political relevance has increased for Berlin due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, could become feminist. By Dr. Sonja Schiffers
Ukraine's recovery needs a gender-sensitive approach Interview The precondition for a real and sustainable recovery of Ukraine is, above all, the victory over the Russian aggression against the country. Still, the discussion on the vision and specific steps for reconstruction cannot wait as residents of damaged towns and millions of internally displaced persons need viable living conditions already now, while the war is still ongoing. Ukrainian society needs to build up resilience in many aspects. This interview presents a feminist perspective on the priorities of reconstruction and the importance of international support and allyship among communities. An interview with Galyna Kotliuk, Programme Coordinator - Gender Democracy/Women Rights/LGBT-Rights at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Kyiv office. Українська версія | Auf Deutsch By Anna Lysiak
“Women, Life, Freedom”: A German feminist foreign policy towards Iran Analysis In Iran, feminist foreign policy demands both short-term interventions to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population and a long-term approach to deal with the state’s structural violence against its own citizens. By Barbara Mittelhammer and Cornelius Adebahr
Where are the Ukrainian women? Respecting female voices now and in post-war times Commentary The Russian invasion of Ukraine tragically continues with brutal shelling of civilian targets, escalating into a humanitarian catastrophe. At the forefront of all this is the masculinity of war which caused these horrors in the first place, and which allows for ignoring the voices of Ukrainian women at all levels. By Dr. Míla O'Sullivan
The Syrian Women's Advisory Board – lessons to be learned Commentary An example of misunderstood identity and representation politics on the part of the UN: the international intervention to include Syrian women in the negotiation process was not a success. By Rula Asad
