Exploring Feminist Foreign Policy with Kristina Lunz

Article (in Czech) about the discussion and related topics was published by Respekt here.

The feminist idea of reprioritizing the practice of international politics was at the heart of the lively debate which took place in the IIR last week. The main guest was Ms Kristina Lunz from the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy in Germany.

One of the thoughts presented was that the feminist foreign policy aims to promote sustainable peace and security by increasing the level of gender equality within societies. While Sweden took the lead in 2014, inspiring other countries, the feminist idea of redefining the practice of international politics goes back to the transnational women’s organising in the Hague in 1915 in the face of the WWI. The speakers and participants also discussed the challenges of feminist foreign policy in confronting the military industries and arms trade or gender essentialising. Referring to the policy’s potential to bring about social transformation, Kristina Lunz stated: “We don’t want women just to sit at the peace table, we want to dismantle the table and build a new one”.

The event was organised in cooperation with the Prague Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Kristina Lunz, the Co-Founder and Country Director Germany of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy presented the concept of feminist foreign policy to an audience in the Czech Republic. The event was conceived as an introductory seminar aiming to bring together academics, civil society, diplomats, public officials and politicians working in the foreign policy area.

The moderator was Tomáš Dopita, Researcher, Editor-in-Chief - Czech Journal of International Relations, Institute of International Relations Prague.