In 2014, Margot Wallström, then Swedish foreign minister, announced that the Swedish government would adopt a "women's" foreign policy, becoming the first country to do so. Since then, Canada, France and Mexico have followed suit, and a group of other countries has undertaken similar policies, most recently Luxembourg, Malaysia and Spain.
In all of these countries, the move raised questions between foreign policy experts, what exactly these policies aim to achieve, at a time when global activity for gender equality has escalated, what is the meaning of conducting foreign policy from a female perspective, and is the focus on gender equality unnecessary, At a stage of economic uncertainty?
Recent studies indicate that the status of women is closely aligned with the country's prosperity and security. In this regard, the promotion of gender equality, as a priority in foreign policy, seems logical. The more women in the parliament of a particular country, the lower the incidence of human rights violations and its relapse into conflict. Equality can lead to women's access to agricultural resources, thereby reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 150 million. Research confirms that countries seeking to enhance their security, or make better use of foreign aid, should prioritize the advancement of women.
Since the late 1970s, at least, women’s rights have had a place in public policy making, with the support of international and local institutions in more than 100 countries; but national reforms have primarily addressed local concerns. Feminist foreign policy offers something different, as it promotes programs that make gender equality and women's empowerment a focus of national security, including diplomacy, defense and trade.
The Swedish government implemented the most comprehensive plans with a women's foreign policy, first formulated in 2014, but Swedish policy actually depends on the previous efforts of many other countries. These efforts jointly focus on spreading change in three broad areas. It seeks to strengthen women's leadership, adhere to policies that promote equality, and allocate resources in a way that supports those commitments. The specific initiatives proposed by governments vary, as well as the extent of their implementation and the means to measure their success. Although everyone raises gender equality as a priority in foreign policy, not everyone calls it "women", frankly.
Sovereign tasks
Over the past decade, many countries have attracted more women in foreign policy decision-making, and have placed more emphasis on gender equality in their performance of foreign affairs. Today, 34 countries have a Minister of Foreign Affairs, while women hold the position of Minister of Commerce in 84 countries, and the position of Minister of Defense in 20 countries. In contrast, not all of these countries have signed a clear foreign policy to advance women's rights, but shifts in their leadership have diversified foreign policy discussions and led to effective policies.
88 countries have adopted national action plans to encourage women's participation in peace and security operations, and donor countries, including Australia, Canada and the UAE, have pledged to provide a percentage of foreign aid funds for programs that promote the advancement of women, or have created new funds to support women's rights organizations. These efforts add to a collective shift in resources and political will.
Efforts to change leadership, adopt policies and allocate resources to promote gender equality as a priority in foreign policy were met with some skepticism. Critics argue that an increased focus on women's rights and gender equality negatively affects the promotion of other national interests abroad. Even those who believe that gender equality is a worthy goal, do not agree that it should be institutionalized as a priority in foreign policy.
Talents and contributions
In fact, gender equality is not only a human right that merits protection, but is also a means to advance a country's economic and security interests. It has been found that improving the situation of women and girls increases GDP, improves global health, fights extremism, improves opportunities for lasting peace, and promotes democracy. The world currently faces a lot of poverty, insecurity, authoritarianism and violence, and the talents and contributions of 50% of its population should not be overlooked.
Other skeptics argue that a real female foreign policy will not require anything from a change in international relations, and they see that the feminist policies adopted by the governments of Canada, France, Sweden, and other countries are not doing enough to reshape the aid infrastructure, reduce military conflicts, or address causes Root inequalities, or incorporate the experiences of women and girls. Moreover, policies that promote gender equality in the area of national security are relatively new, and it is still too early to know what effects they will have, either in improving women's lives or in generating the political will to bring about more change.
Foreign policy, which declares itself feminine, has an opportunity to make gender equality an implicit and explicit priority, but Sweden's method is not the only way forward. By adopting and implementing a carefully designed policy that links the advancement of women to national security, as well as to economic and diplomatic priorities, around the world, countries can hope to reap some of the benefits of achieving greater equality.
Prosperity and stability
To foster prosperity and stability, governments around the world, including the United States, must work to promote gender equality in foreign policy. High-level councils should be created to coordinate their efforts to strengthen the situation of women and girls at home and abroad. Each government agency must appoint a high-level, full-time official who reports directly to the minister in charge of promoting gender equality. Governments and their agencies should make their own workplaces part of this effort, by prioritizing gender balance in employment, and providing effective means to address harassment and abuse in the workplace.
• Recent studies indicate that the status of women is closely aligned with the country's prosperity and security. In this regard, the promotion of gender equality as a priority in foreign policy seems to make sense. The more women in the parliament of a particular country, the lower the incidence of human rights violations and its relapse into conflict.
• 88 countries have adopted national action plans to encourage women's participation in peace and security processes.
Real benefits
Leaders in countries of the world are required to develop high-level government-level policies to promote gender equality through diplomacy, development, defense and trade. These policies must take into account the measures of prosperity and stability in the country, and the status of women and girls, by defining economic health to include an equal area for women, free from discriminatory laws, for example. Parliaments can support these policy efforts with legislation that promotes gender equality, and authorizes government ministries to promote related initiatives.
Gender equality promises real benefits, not only to the country's economy, but also to its national security. In order to achieve these benefits, governments need to invest, and they must do so at adequate levels, to achieve gains of importance for women. Countries that can provide assistance should do so in a way that directly supports local women-led organizations that are engines of change and have been shown to - often - lack funds. A multinational gender equality partnership, similar to the Open Government Partnership, can stimulate additional funding for gender equality from governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
Effective measures
Finally, the European Parliament passed several decisions on this issue. For example, legislators have focused on preventing and combating sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace and in public places. He also made an important step in 2019, on equality between males and females, and called for effective measures to be taken to ensure equality between men and women, to improve the situation in institutions, both in terms of administration and politics.
Although these decisions are not binding, they convey the opinion of Parliament on the issue and encourage other European institutions, including the Council and the Commission, to address them and take the necessary measures, because this depends on the political will.
On average, women in the European Union live six years longer than men, even though more women consider themselves to be in poor health. At the same time, the average monthly income of women is about 80% of men's income.
Sweden remains the country with the most gender equality, with the highest point in this context, while Greece and Hungary still have a long way to go. In contrast, Lithuania was the only country to have made no progress in the past 15 years. Meanwhile, Italy and Cyprus have witnessed a major improvement.