Answer to Question #315282 in History for Janine

Question

1) Does Feminist Foreign Policy change states' foreign policy decisions?

2) Are feminist foreign policy and the Hillary Doctrine examples of an imperial feminism that only serves the interests of (some) sovereign states and obscures their true goals of military and economic dominance?

3) Does it matter if feminist foreign policy doesn't change state behavior? How else could it have significant effects on international politics?

Answer 1

1. Femnist foreign policy places gender equality at the crux of foreign policy decisions. During her US Senate confirmation hearings to become Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton vowed "I want to pledge to you that as secretary of state I view issues as central to our foreign policy, not as adjunct or in any way lesser than all of the other issues that we have to confront." Margo Wallstrom stated that the Three Rs of feminist foreign policy are rights, resources, and representation.

2. Feminist foreign policy makes a difference in how states act. In 2015, Sweden did not renew a decades-old trade agreement with Saudi Arabia, in part because of that state's treatment of women. This caused a diplomatic scandal, as well as predictions of the loss of billions of Sweden's economy. In 2010, the United States Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review-a blueprint for US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development-Integrated gender into its foreign policy goals and began tracking dollars spent on women-focused programming.

3. Recent efforts include: In 2011, the United States adopted a National Action Plan on WPS—its first policy framework uplifting women in diplomatic, development and defense sectors. In 2017, Congress passed the WPS Act, calling for a cross-government strategic approach to advance the agenda. Recent efforts include: In 2011, the United States adopted a National Action Plan on WPS—its first policy framework uplifting women in diplomatic, development and defense sectors. In 2017, Congress passed the WPS Act, calling for a cross-government strategic approach to advance the agenda. When girls and women are empowered, humanity is empowered. Gender equality benefits us socially, economically, politically and even psychologically. Recent studies have shown that countries ranking higher on the gender equity scale are actually happier and wealthier too.