Briefing note -  Where next for feminist   foreign policy?  - Ján Michalko

While commitment to peace and demilitarisation is a defining component of many conceptualisations of FFPs, so is the respect for and acceptance of the feminist demands of activists and women in partner countries. [...] described with reference to the European Union response as ‘hierarchies of privilege, through the global (non)distribution of life-saving technologies such as vaccines, and dissemination of knowledge about the spread of the virus during the peak of the pandemic’ (2023: 4). [...] The blurring of lines between domestic and foreign policies, while difficult to implement, is in line with feminist disruption of the traditional way of conceiving of and conducting foreign affairs. [...] Conducting internal audit and analysis and subsequently building civil servants’ and diplomats’ awareness of feminist values and approaches, not least critical self-reflection, can contribute to improving the quality and consistency of FFP as well as ensure the continuity of policies through government changes and anti-gender backlash. [...] While challenging to implement in the context of rising anti-gender and anti-feminist backlash, feminist and feminist-inspired policies ought to be considered as alternative ways of securing a just future for all based on the ethics of care, and the experiences of women and other oppressed groups.