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.
Table of Contents
Preface to the 2023 edition1. 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
