Retrieved 1: Why feminist foreign policy?
What is a feminist foreign policy? And why are some countries rushing to adopt it? Does it just concern women? Or is it a new, more radical approach to foreign policy looking to dismantle patriarchal structures and achieve equality for all? We sit down with Berlin-based Nina Bernarding, CEO and co-founder of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, to talk about everything from working with feminist civil society in Afghanistan, to advocating fervently for disarmament, to the importance of putting people first when it comes to security.
In the series of podcasts ‘Retrieved’, by the Heinrich Böll Foundation - Thessaloniki office, we bring together experts, policy-makers and members of the civil society. We take a closer look at feminist foreign policy and what it means for the peace-building, migration, defence and many other policy areas.
Feminism and patriarchy are terms we tend to encounter in discussions about the way societies are organised internally. And yet, foreign policy, just like most fields of policy-making, is heavily affected by patriarchal structures and prejudice. However, its future can be better. With the help of policy advisors, journalists, researchers, and politicians, we examine how feminist foreign policy can reflect the interests of all genders and often overlooked stakeholders: from peace-building and climate, to migration and defence policy, we look to examples from across the EU that show how this bold new model benefits society at large - and the challenges on the horizon. Can feminism retrieve a new foreign policy mantra out of the dusty ideas of the past?