Foreign Policy Analysis and Feminism

Abstract

Abstract There are two contrary trends in contemporary global politics. There is a striking advancement of pro-gender norms in foreign policy where gender equality has become a salient issue. At the same time, there is a growing number of countries expressing a foreign policy that is characterized by misogyny and populism, which is eroding women’s rights globally. Yet, there are nearly no studies in foreign policy that seek to address and explain these gendered dynamics. This chapter forges a new direction in foreign policy analysis (FPA) by drawing on feminist theory to explain change and continuity in foreign policy. It advances a feminist approach to the agency-structure debate in FPA and elaborates on three mutually constitutive levels: (a) gendered leadership; (b) gendered institutions between and among states; and (c) gendered structures. The chapter concludes with suggesting three directions to be taken in research to advance scholarship on feminist theory and FPA.