Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice
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 textbook as described by Dr. Matiur Rahman, “The seminal work, “Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice” by Stephenie Foster and Susan A. Markham, provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of this evolving field, critically analysing its theoretical foundations, practical applications, and prospects.”
You can read the full article here. Otherwise take a look at Stephenie’s Speaking Engagements around Feminist Foreign Policy and more here.
“According to Foster and Markham, there are four main components of feminist foreign policy: 1) it promotes gender equality; 2) it broadens the definition of “security”; 3) it aims to diversify representation in foreign policy decision-making posts; and 4) it addresses historic geopolitical power imbalances. The authors argue that promoting gender equality provides both the goal and the means of creating more stable societies. Studies have shown that gender equality—providing more opportunities to women and girls—often spurs economic growth and decreases the likelihood of conflict. Going along with the promotion of gender equality, redefining security to include attention to food security, healthcare, education, civil society, and housing issues again creates more stable societies that are less likely to engage in military conflict. The authors provide examples of how these seemingly domestic issues relate to foreign policy and national security to convince skeptical readers. For example, they link the practice of paying a “bride price” in some societies with the possibility of increased extremist violence (p. 41). Because men in societies with few economic opportunities have difficulty paying such a price, they are more likely to stay single, to have fewer ties to the community, and to decide to join militant or criminal organizations, further destabilizing the nation. Thus, an issue such as bride price that would previously have been deemed a “women’s issue” with little import to national security debates becomes much more significant to foreign policy conversations.”
To view the full review, click here.