Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective meeting

In October 2023, FEPS, in collaboration with FES EU Brussels and supported by an active network of dedicated partners, launched the Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective (FFPPVC), with the aim of gathering a community of feminist experts from across the globe and creating a platform for them to exchange on policy approaches and practices in Feminist Foreign Policy. Based on learnings from different parts of the world, the aim is to delineate common traits of Feminist Foreign Policy for the progressive family, analyse main challenges and opportunities for the EU as a feminist foreign policy actor and advance specific policy recommendations to EU policy makers. 

With preparations ongoing for the Third International Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) organised by Mexico from 1-3 July 2024, under the theme “The Future of Feminist Foreign Policies” in view of the upcoming negotiations on the Future Pact within the UN, the FFPPVC met virtually to discuss topical issues. 

The expert meeting, taking place online on 17 June 2024, was chaired by Ann Linde, former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs. Building on the first of the policy briefs prepared as part of the project, Session I featured a presentation of the second policy brief entitled “Embracing Feminist Foreign Policy within EU Strategic Foresight Capabilities” by Anastaesia Mondesir, WPS Consultant , which calls for the EU to transform its modus operandi on foreign policy by shifting the focus from short-term crisis response to long-term strategic planning to envision positive futures. This requires increasing diversity in the EU staff in charge of strategic foresight, centering gender equality as a guiding principle for external action, transforming existing partnerships in equal cooperation mechanisms and amplifying voices of communities at the receiving end of EU’s foreign policy. 

This was followed by a discussion with Heather Grabbe, Senior Fellow at Bruegel and the members of the collective, who pointed out that many women are systematically excluded from data in fields like medicine and economics, hence including them in data collection and foresight mechanisms is crucial to frame discussions more inclusively. 

Miriam focused on interrogating Western countries’ FFPs policies and practices in relation to the concept of intersectionality, anti-colonialism and anti-racism.

For more information regarding the project and this event, please do not hesitate to contact Julia Wild, Project Officer (julia.wild@feps-europe.eu)

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