25/06/2024, 16:00 - 18:00, Essen
in cooperation with the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF)
Numerous governments around the world want to pursue feminist goals in their foreign and development policy, including the German government. However, this paradigm shift is controversial. The question arises as to how much added value feminist principles actually bring to issues of war and peace. There is also a danger that development policy will become overloaded with normative considerations, which partners in the Global South often resist.
The trailblazer, Sweden, adopted a feminist foreign policy (FFP) in 2014. It was followed by a range of countries, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Slovenia, and Spain. In Germany, the current traffic light coalition (“Ampel”) also established a feminist development policy alongside a feminist foreign policy. After the election of a new government in 2022, Sweden tellingly became the first country to rescind its feminist foreign policy.
The panel, open to the general public, will address various facets of feminist foreign and development policy. What are the core principles of an FFP, including a feminist development policy? Has there been a concrete, practical impact of adopting an FFP? Or does an FFP mainly repackage existing practices? Does the establishment of an FFP increase the risk that foreign and development policy will be characterised by double standards? Four experts from government and academia will contribute their perspectives on these aspects and related questions.
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with members of the audience. Afterwards, finger food and refreshments will be served, allowing for informal discussions and networking among participants and attendees.
The organisers of the panel are Stephen Brown, Professor of Political Science at the University of Ottawa and current Senior Fellow at the College, and Tobias Debiel, Professor of International Relations and Development Policy at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Deputy Director of the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF).
The panel is open to the interested public. Please register by 22 June.