Adopting a Feminist Foreign Policy | News Article

News | Aug 3, 2023 | 23:46

feminist foreign policy

Equality is one of the cornerstones of the Dutch Constitution. But big steps still need to be taken in the Netherlands, and indeed everywhere in the world, especially to achieve universal equality for women and girls.

The Netherlands joins a pioneering group of countries campaigning for gender equality internationally, including Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Canada, Mexico and Chile.

Feminist foreign policy is by no means directed solely at women. Developing and adopting a feminist foreign policy means that equal rights and equality will be the main focus of all aspects of Dutch foreign policy. The Netherlands is committed to protecting human rights, equal rights and opportunities, and promoting meaningful participation in decision-making by men, women and LGBTIQ+ people.

Feminist foreign policy focuses are on rights, representation, resources, and reality checks.

Over the next year, the policy will be developed in more detail based on input from extensive consultation sessions. The Netherlands will also host an international conference on feminist foreign policy in autumn 2023 to help expand knowledge and foster debate.

read more: Description of Feminist Foreign Policy

Consequences and Opportunities

Lamyae El Hasnaoui is the Undersecretary of Parliament at the Dutch Embassy in the UK. I believe a feminist foreign policy will lead to better and more sustainable results in our work. and increase prosperity. The first step to change is always awareness. By adopting a feminist foreign policy, the Dutch government not only raises awareness of gender inequality, but also strengthens its efforts towards gender mainstreaming in all foreign policy areas.

As neighbors on the North Sea, the UK and the Netherlands share shared values ​​and enjoy strong cooperation on foreign policy and sustainable development. The UK and the Netherlands have pledged to work together towards gender equality at their latest meeting. Joint statementThe UK does not have a feminist foreign policy, but it does have a new foreign policy. International Women and Girls Strategy It also puts women and girls at the center of the UK’s international activism and offers many opportunities to work together.

The feminist foreign policy adopted by other countries has proven effective in strengthening commitments to gender equality (OECD).

practical meaning

Astrid de Vries is the Cultural Officer at the Embassy of the Netherlands in the UK.. Adopting a feminist foreign policy means that we are committed to supporting women in every possible way in our daily work as cultural attachés. Cultural programs in the UK support old masters and young makers. And among these young makers there are some very strong women who work in an interdisciplinary way and present challenging and intriguing work.Dancers/performers, just to name a few take care of menzo Run Dark Matter on Leeds2023, smog wear (designers Iris de Kievith and Annemarie Piscaer) present tableware made from air pollution in Glasgow.

Women professionals tend to be less visible and it’s our job to change that.

In addition to providing opportunities for female producers to participate and perform, we also strive to promote their representation. We no longer participate in so-called “all-male panels”. The excuse that it’s hard to find women with a certain level of expertise is no longer acceptable. Our message is:

Organizational goals of the Dutch Ministry of Defense

Air Military Lieutenant Colonel Martine Verfurst For the Dutch Ministry of Defense at the Dutch Embassy in the UK. Although we do not adopt a feminist foreign policy, the Dutch Ministry of Defense (MoD) believes that diversity makes organizations stronger and more effective. Change is needed to foster this diversity and make us stronger as an organization. The Dutch Ministry of Defense will invest in organizational changes in the coming months and years to achieve this objective.

For example, each year each service within the Department of Defense must report its diversity and inclusion plans to the Secretary of Defense. Diversity and inclusion are integrated into a bespoke plan for strategic talent development. There are preferential policies for women who wish to join the military. Last but not least, the organization has developed a target for the minimum number of women in top management positions within the Department of Defense.

In 2022, the Secretary of Defense announced a goal to increase the percentage of women in the organization’s workforce from 16% to 30% by 2030.