Feminist Foreign Policy in a time of impunity

Photo: Mehr News Agency, used under CC BY 4.0

Feminist foreign policy has the potential address the crises of multilateralism, but it needs the consistent application of feminist principles succeed.

This is a key message from Karama’s consensus paper Feminist Foreign Policy in a Time of Impunity, launched ahead of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy in Madrid. The paper, developed with input from across Africa and the Arab region, underlines that we need to see tangibly feminist responses to the threats to global peace and security.

With the concept of feminist foreign policy now into its second decade, the world is being rocked by ruinous new conflicts, while years old injustices, inequalities and failures of diplomacy have still not been addressed.

The paper outlines a series of urgent actions that need to be taken in order to realize the potential of feminist foreign policy. It follows up from our previous policy paper setting out principles and priorities from Africa and the Arab region.

With the series of ministerial meetings on feminist foreign policy now into the fifth edition, it is essential that states that adopt such policies ensure they are not simply a matter of political rhetoric. We want to see a transformative approach to foreign policy, we need to see policies adopted in relation to conflict and occupation that prioritize justice and accountability, trade policies that are equitable, and a reduction in militarization and an increase in development and humanitarian funding. That is not the picture we currently see.

Our consensus paper sets out clear actions that governments and we endorse them to governments, whether or not they are participating in Madrid.

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