Background and Rationale:
Foreign policy has historically been constructed and dominated by white, heterosexual men, reflecting Western ideals and reinforcing global hierarchies. The emergence of feminist foreign policy, first championed by Sweden in 2014, marked an attempt to challenge these patriarchal structures and promote gender equality. However, these policies, while progressive, still predominantly serve Euro-centric, white women’s needs and fail to reflect the complex gender dynamics in the majority world.
This panel aims to critically examine the limitations of current feminist foreign policies, questioning the foundational notions of gender they are built upon. Through the lens of intersectionality and decoloniality, the panel will explore how Western feminist frameworks continue to marginalize subaltern groups, particularly women in Latin America and other post-colonial regions. It will further investigate how global power structures, born out of colonialism, have shaped the adoption of heteronormative and patriarchal policies in the majority world.
The panel seeks to deepen the understanding of how global power relations, rooted in colonization, perpetuate gender-based hierarchies within feminist foreign policy frameworks. It will aim to provide a platform for exploring alternative, decolonized approaches to feminist foreign policy that better reflect the lived realities of women and non-binary individuals in the global South.
The questions to explore include:
- How do current feminist foreign policies reflect colonial and neoliberal ideologies?
- How can feminist foreign policy be decolonized to include diverse gender identities and experiences from the majority world?
- What role does intersectionality play in challenging existing frameworks of power and privilege in international relations?
Relevance and Contribution:
By focusing on decoloniality, this panel will challenge the binary and hierarchical conceptions of gender that dominate current feminist foreign policy frameworks. It will offer fresh perspectives on developing more inclusive policies that not only promote gender equality but also dismantle the colonial legacies embedded in international relations.