Stephenie Foster

Stephenie Foster (she/her) has deep and broad expertise in women’s economic and political empowerment with decades of experience on Capitol Hill, in the Executive Branch, the non-profit sector, and in the law. She has been fighting for women and girls her entire career; Empowering women in Afghan war zones (U.S. Embassy, Kabul), monitoring elections in Ukraine, representing the U.S. State Department in meetings with government and civil society leaders (Office of Global Women’s Issues), and serving as a Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate. Having traveled, lived, or worked in over 100 countries, she has consistently used her voice and actions to change discriminatory laws and policies and help shift cultural norms and inequalities. She is a founding partner of Smash Strategies, which provides strategic advice to corporations, institutions and philanthropists to ensure that their investments in women and girls are effective and transformational. Based on her unique experiences, she understands the political and policy landscapes relevant to empowering women and girls, in order to increase their opportunities for leadership and growth and promote a more equal world.

Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice outlines the foundations of feminist foreign policy and the fundamental concepts discussed and utilized by governments, civil society organizations, and those in the academic community as they define, formulate, and implement it.

This book furthers the global conversation around how countries can develop and execute approaches to foreign policy and national security that go beyond conflict prevention and resolution and use a feminist or gender lens to increase gender equality and women’s leadership in the security sector. It reviews how governments have implemented feminist foreign, development, and trade policies at the multilateral and national levels, and sets forth the unique global role of the U.S. government, using case studies to discuss what would be needed to implement a feminist foreign policy in the U.S. The authors provide a roadmap, stressing the necessity of applying a gender analysis and perspective to all peace and security decision-making and involving women in all aspects of conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. They tie together the movements for human rights, women’s rights, feminism, and peace and security, highlighting how each of these strands brings key perspectives to the study of foreign policy.

This book complements the study of the women, peace, and security agenda. It will be of great use to practitioners, including government officials, addressing issues of foreign policy, multilateral and bilateral engagement, and the promotion of gender equality and social inclusion. It will also be of interest to students and scholars of foreign policy, security studies, international relations, gender studies, development, governance, and political science.

Get involved in the fight for women and girls…

Easily stay up to date with Stephenie’s work fighting for women and girls by subscribing to Take Action. When you sign up, you’ll receive our newsletters featuring timely information about being an advocate in your everyday life, first access to new tools and resources, plus Stephenie’s complimentary guide titled, “9 Steps to Powerful Change.”

Are you on social media? Follow Stephenie & Take Action on social media and share essential posts on all the latest advocacy information with the people in your networks. Help create waves of action for women and girls and for a more equal world.

Blog & Publications