A green feminist foreign policy for the EU

Juliane Schmidt advocates for the EU to transition from basic gender mainstreaming to a 'green feminist foreign policy' that employs an intersectional approach to address the gendered impacts of climate change, conflict, and natural disasters. The author critiques the European External Action Service (EEAS) for its male-dominated leadership and the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) for lacking inclusive language and gender-responsive budgeting. The text suggests that the EU should follow the lead of pioneer countries like Sweden by implementing mandatory staff training, binding gender chapters in trade agreements, and systemic changes to institutional culture to ensure that women and marginalised groups are agents of change rather than mere beneficiaries.

• A green feminist foreign policy differs from standard feminist foreign policy by using an intersectional approach to recognize that global challenges, including climate change and natural disasters, have gendered impacts that worsen intersecting forms of discrimination.
• The author identifies significant gender imbalances in the leadership of the European External Action Service (EEAS), noting that men occupy nearly 80% of senior management and nearly 70% of middle-management positions.
• While the EU has implemented the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III), the document argues it is insufficient because it relies on a binary notion of gender, lacks gender-responsive budgeting, and has seen poor implementation of existing action plans.
• Sweden is cited as a global pioneer in this field, having been the first country to adopt a feminist foreign policy in 2014 and earmarking 90% of its development aid for gender equality.
• To operationalize a green feminist foreign policy, the EU should include binding gender chapters or due diligence requirements in trade agreements and ensure marginalised groups are included in international climate action decision-making.
• The document highlights a growing international and internal backlash against the rights of women and LGBTQI+ individuals, evidenced by resistance to the Istanbul Convention and difficulties in passing UN resolutions on women, peace, and security.

APA

Schmidt, J. (2021). A green feminist foreign policy for the EU. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-green-feminist-foreign-policy-for-the-eu/

Chicago

Schmidt, Juliane. A green feminist foreign policy for the EU. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-green-feminist-foreign-policy-for-the-eu/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Schmidt |first1=Juliane |title=A green feminist foreign policy for the EU |publisher=Green European Journal |date=30 July 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-green-feminist-foreign-policy-for-the-eu/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{schmidt2021green, author = {Schmidt, Juliane}, title = {{A green feminist foreign policy for the EU}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-green-feminist-foreign-policy-for-the-eu/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }