Beyond the Concept: Feminist Foreign Policy in Action

Plans for a feminist foreign policy have been put in place by several countries over the past decade. However, international statistics tell us that the inclusion of women in international decision-making and negotiation mechanisms is often insufficient: in 2022, women ambassadors average only 21.6% in the world’s 40 largest economies (AGDA Women in Diplomacy Index 2022). Ensuring that women play a key role in discussions and decision-making processes in the different fields of diplomacy could truly take into account women’s voices and rights and make international governance more inclusive. The speakers in this session will present the assets and outcomes that a sustainable feminist foreign policy could ensure, while making diplomacy more effective and legitimate. In this spirit, they will explore strategies to move from theory to practical realization of feminist foreign policies and to promote their articulation, promotion, and implementation, through examples of good practices from different regions of the world.

This roundtable is an interactive format gathering around 25 high-level and expert participants to exchange on a topic of common interest. After initial contributions from designated speakers (see below) to frame the issues to be discussed and challenges to be tackled, participants are invited to take the floor on a voluntary basis to share ideas, inputs, and lead the discussion towards common understandings and solutions.

Moderator:

• Meredith Preston McGhie, Secretary General, Global Center for Pluralism
• Ms. Anisha Chugh, Executive Director, Women’s Fund Asia
• Ms. Eunice Musiime, Executive Director, Akina Mama wa Afrika
• Ms. Hannah Neumann, Initiator, Member of the European Parliament, #SHEcurity
• Ms. Lyric Thompson, Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Strategy, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
• Ms. Ambika Vishwanath, Founder Director, Kubernein Initiative
• Ms. Caitlin Kraft-Buchman, CEO Founder, Women At The Table