ADDRESSING GENDER EQUALITY AND FEMINISM IN FEMINIST FOREIGN POLICIES: EXPLORING GERMANY FEMINIST DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Abstract

Despite the growing adoption of Feminist foreign policies (FFPs) by several states, concerns have arisen regarding their potential for “genderwashing” and their failure to address underlying power imbalances and structural inequalities. Critics have pointed out several issues with FFPs, including the absence of a clearly defined feminist framework, a failure to recognize diverse feminisms, an instrumentalist approach, and limited practical impact, all of which contradict the “feminist” label attached to these policies. This paper conducts a critical examination of the language used in Germany’s feminist development policy (FDP) to comprehend how states communicate their ideas of feminism and gender equality. The study utilizes critical discourse analysis and qualitative content analysis to assess Germany’s FDP, shedding light on missed opportunities and limitations in addressing fundamental issues of gender inequality. Acknowledging Germany’s enhanced commitment to gender equality and its responsive approach to critiques, this research underlines challenges that persist in embracing a transformative feminist approach, offering insights into the discursive lenses of FFPs for the broader community of state and non-state actors and emphasizing the necessity for ongoing efforts to refine concepts in FFPs to effectively address gender inequalities.

Keywords: Feminist foreign policies, critical discourse analysis, content analysis, transformative feminism, gender equality, women’s rights