The Future of Foreign Policy Is Feminist

As old white men continue to dominate the national and international stages, the needs of women and minorities are constantly ignored. International politics are shaped by a ruthless competition for advantage, and the world is full of conflicts, crises and wars. Things have to change.

Activist and political scientist Kristina Lunz is on a mission to do just that. In her work from New York to Bogotá, from Germany to Myanmar, she became aware of a stubborn unwillingness to think past the status quo and to embrace new, innovative voices from marginalized groups. She also saw that the tradition of feminist activism combined brilliantly with diplomacy: both require grim tenacity, boundless creativity and a solutions-oriented approach. In her attempt to reconfigure the field of foreign policy, she aims to set in motion a paradigm shift, replacing grandiose displays of military might with feminism, solidarity and climate justice. 

A feminist foreign policy requires the promotion of equal rights in the handling of foreign affairs and security matters worldwide, with a particular focus on marginalized and politically underrepresented groups. Ultimately, this is nothing less than an inclusive, visionary policy for the twenty-first century, one where security and prosperity, health and climate justice are possible – in other words: where peace is possible for everyone, everywhere.

Kristina Lunz is the co-founder and co-executive director of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy. She has a master’s degree in Global Governance and Ethics from University College London and a master’s in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford. In February 2019 she was included in Forbes Magazine’s prestigious ‘30 under 30’ list for Europe.

Preface to the 2023 edition



1.   Prologue: The personal is political
My feminist awakening; …and where it led
Margot Wallström: ‘Activism and diplomacy, that is, courage and patience, complement each other’



2.   Why foreign policy must become feminist
The beginnings of feminist foreign policy; Feminism for everybody; Less patriarchy, more security; Feminist security beyond the nation state; Conclusion: Why (feminist) foreign policy concerns us all
Toni Haastrup: ‘Home was never a place for me’



3.   Diplomacy: It’s a man’s world
A rocky road; Female diplomacy in Germany; Making women visible; Oppression and violence – women’s lives past and present; Conclusion: diverse and efficient
Valerie Hudson: ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been’



4.   Old white men in theory
My personal sense of unease; The imperial brotherhood, or: Androcentrism is everywhere; Are humans essentially selfish?; International Relations: The revolution begins; Epistemicide – the destruction of knowledge; The postcolonial perspective; Conclusion: Old white men – a narrow outlook
Nina Bernarding: ‘Gendering is a way of structuring power’



5.   The beginnings of feminist foreign policy
1915: It all began in The Hague; The women’s resolution; Delegations with a mission; 1919: A continent rearranged; Women and peace talks; From 1920: The re-emergence of hope; Feminist international law; Conclusion: The shoulders of giants
Chandra Mohanty: ‘My loyalty was never to an institution’



6.   Feminist activism: UN Resolution 1325
In the UN Security Council; The idea of a feminist Security Council; United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325; The example of Colombia; The example of NATO; The influence of feminist civil society on UN resolutions; Germany’s national action plan; Demanding the maximum and negotiating compromise; Conclusion: She who fights with monsters
Sanam Naraghi Anderlini: ‘Who fights for human rights? Women do’



7.   The status quo of feminist foreign policy
Sweden; Canada; France; Mexico; Spain; Germany; Other states with a feminist foreign policy agenda; Staying power: The Global Partners Network; Small steps; Conclusion: The will for transformation
Cynthia Enloe: ‘Where are the women?’



8.   Attacks on women’s, LGBTQI* and human rights
Networking; Power over Rights; The origins of anti-gender ideology; The old, the new and the allies; Defending the international patriarchal social order; The ‘Atlas of Civil Society’; The myth of gender ideology; Antifeminist strategies; What ‘protecting unborn life’ actually means; Conclusion: An unrelenting struggle
Jennifer Cassidy: ‘Old white men were teaching solely about old white men, and that made me furious’



9.   Feminist global health policy
Covid is a feminist issue; The human right to health; Health diplomacy; Colonial tendencies in questions of health; Global injustices: North versus South; Sexual and reproductive health and rights; Forgotten groups in health policy; Conclusion: For a feminist global health policy
Beatrice Fihn: ‘It’s absurd that force and weapons are seen as guarantors of (inter)national security’



10.  No climate justice without feminism
Led by women; Climate protection: An intensely feminist issue; The climate crisis doesn’t affect everyone equally; Climate justice = human justice; Control over nature and women; The man-made climate crisis; Climate and security; Objections and attacks; Conclusion: Climate justice and feminism – now!
J. Ann Tickner: ‘It doesn’t matter what the boys are doing; we’re doing much more interesting things anyway’



11.  Making peace without weapons: Disarmament as a fundamental demand of feminism
My personal security flaw; The arms race spiral; Weapons kill women; Core objective: Demilitarization; Disarmament as a core feminist concern in history; A ‘no’ to the arms trade; A ‘no’ to nuclear weapons; A ‘no’ to killer robots; Conclusion: No security in patriarchy
Bonnie Jenkins: ‘It’s our job to question the status quo – again and again’



12.  The future of foreign policy is feminist
Hopeless: Afghanistan 2021; The CFFP manifesto; Peace and security; Demilitarization, disarmament and arms (export) control; Human rights and the rule of law; Climate justice; Development cooperation; Migration; Global health; Decolonizing foreign policy; Fighting antifeminist attacks on the human rights system; Participation and leadership; Collaboration and feminist civil society; Conclusion: Change and growth
Samantha Power: ‘I want to create diplomatic progress’



13.  Feminist foreign policy in times of war and conflict
Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine; The feminist revolution in Iran; Conclusion: short-term feminist interventions and long-term feminist transformation



14.  Epilogue
My personal history: CFFP instead of the UN; The triple whammy; Conclusion: From angst to agency; P.S.: Only the strong stay soft!
Madeleine Rees: ‘I took off my velvet gloves a long time ago’



Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Notes

Index