DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.1998789 ISSN: 1304-7310

Review of Three Books on Feminist Foreign Policy

Esra Akgemci
Show PDF Cite
Feminism has introduced new concepts, subjects, and approaches to International Relations (IR) since the 1980s to enhance its explanatory power and inclusivity (Tür and Aydın-Koyuncu 2010: 19). Feminist foreign policy (FFP) is a notable example, challenging traditional, male-centric “high politics” of security and diplomacy by placing gender equality, human rights, and the lived experiences of marginalized groups at the center of a state’s international agenda. As FFP has evolved over the past decade, research on its theories and methods has also advanced. From Sweden’s pioneering declaration in 2014 to Mexico’s groundbreaking adoption in 2020, countries worldwide have experimented with incorporating feminist principles into their diplomatic, security, and development agendas. Academic engagement with FFP has likewise increased, including insights from feminist IR theory, foreign policy analysis (FPA), and decolonial thought. Three recent volumes, Foster and Markham’s Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice (2024), Aggestam and True’s Feminist Foreign Policy Analysis: A New Subfield (2024), and Aggestam, Bergman-Rosamond, and Hedling’s The Politics of Feminist Foreign Policy and Digital Diplomacy (2024), together outline the landscape of FFP as a policy framework, scholarly subfield, and area of critical debate.

More from our Archive