Toward Indonesian Feminist Foreign Policy: Retno Marsudi’s Revolt Amidst Political Patriarchy

The absence of a feminist foreign policy is evident in many Muslim countries. This article aims to demonstrate the practices of feminist foreign policy in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country. Using a qualitative approach, this study uses an individual-level analysis focusing on Retno Marsudi, who served as Foreign Minister from 2014 to 2024. The data are obtained from secondary materials, including newspaper articles and books. Indonesia’s commitment to a feminist foreign policy is analyzed using 27 indicators proposed by Papagioti in seven priority areas: peace and militarization, official development assistance, employment-related migration, labor protection, economic justice, institutional commitments to gender equality, and climate. This study argues that Indonesia’s shift toward a feminist approach differs from Western countries, which often benefit from deep-rooted feminist political movements. In Indonesia, this political change has been largely driven by individual agency, particularly through the role of Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. During her decade-long tenure as Foreign Minister, she played a key role in developing policies that promote women’s participation, particularly in international negotiations, peacekeeping, global development, and combating climate change. In confronting the male-dominated role of international politics, Marsudi practices and promotes a feminist diplomacy based on an ethic of care and empathy while promoting cooperation. She advocates “leadership without hegemony” that listens to the interests of all countries, promotes cooperation, and hope. Applying feminist analysis to foreign policy dismantles the male-dominated practices that maintain patriarchal structures in international politics, while presenting alternative feminist leadership styles that promote peaceful, empathetic, and collaborative approaches to conflict resolution.