3 questions to Alice Apostoly and Déborah Rouach, Co-directors of the Gender in Geopolitics Institute

The Gender in Geopolitics Institute is the only think tank in France that uses gender as a tool to explore and understand the complex realities of international affairs.

Interview with Alice Apostoly and Déborah Rouach, Co-founders and co-directors of The Gender in Geopolitics Institute

Focus 2030 : In 2020, you founded The Gender in Geopolitics Institute, a think tank that analyses international issues from a gender perspective. Four years on, what are your primary constatations ? To what extent has the IGG succeeded in establishing itself among feminist organizations and international solidarity players ?

Alice Apostoly et Déborah Rouach : Since the creation of our think tank, we have witnessed the rise of conservative anti-gender and anti-rights ideologies shared on an international level, by influential countries that are attacking the rights of women and LGBTI+ ever more violently. Women’s right to freely dispose of their bodies has been taken over in the USA and Poland, the feminist cause is openly denigrated by masculinist politicians for political ends as in South Korea and India, and women’s bodies are instrumentalized for the benefit of a natalist discourse in France and Hungary.

The progress made in feminism over the last years, led by the international MeToo movement to denounce sexist and sexual violence based on gender, have provoked sexist and misogynist reactions that have become commonplace in all areas of society, and notably in politics with the far right.

Thus, our societies are increasingly polarized between progressivism and conservatism. This polarization even reaches the spheres of feminist organizations, by the time dialogue and cooperation are urgently needed.

In this context, the Institut du Genre en Géopolitique (IGG) strives to produce well-argued, popularized, open-access research to raise society’s awareness and stand up against the masculinist and conservative rhetoric that is gaining increasing ground in politics and public and political debate.

The IGG has been able to legitimize its expertise in analyzing international issues through a gender lens and has, in fact, succeeded in exposing the need to think international relations and global challenges differently to create egalitarian, inclusive, just and livable societies. Through over 400 published research papers and recommendations, we defend the transformative potential of international cooperation based on human rights, intersectionality, and inclusion.

We take part in the creation of dialogues and exchanges with a diversity of associative, institutional, and private actors in France and internationally, to create a positive and progressive counter-power in favor of the rights of women and LGBTI+ people. The 300 volunteers welcomed to the IGG since its creation enabled our work. It is very important to us that the IGG provides a springboard for young professionals, researchers and students. We’d like to thank them all on this March 8 !

Focus 2030 : You are about to publish a study analyzing how countries that committed to feminist diplomacy are actually implementing it. What are the main conclusions of this report ? How is France different from countries such as Spain and Germany ?

Alice Apostoly et Déborah Rouach : Although many countries have committed to fight for women’s rights and gender equality at an international level,only a dozen countries have officially adopted a feminist foreign policy. Although the main objectives differ from a country to another, each objective constitute awareness-raising actions within bilateral and multilateral bodies, and of national and international programs in favor of women’s rights - and sometimes those of LGBTI+ minorities.

We observe common trends in countries from the Global North and Global South. Countries in the Global North that have already committed to gender equality, prior to the adoption of their feminist foreign policy, prioritize official development assistance and support for grassroots feminist initiatives as vectors for sustainable change. Countries from the Global South often have to work harder to align their public policies with their stated commitments to women’s rights and gender equality. But they offer an innovative approach, considering women in all their diversity, whether they are members of the LBTI+ community, racialized, poor, etc.

An intersectional and decolonial approach are essential in order to take into account the multiple forms of discrimination, the fight against systemic inequalities, and promote truly inclusive solutions that promote gender equality and social justice.

The feminist foreign policies studied could greatly benefit from a more cross-functional approach. A strengthened inter-ministerial approach would imply greater collaboration between the various foreign affairs ministries and actors. In terms of financial commitments, a cross-cutting approach would guarantee gender-sensitive budgets in all sectors and maximize the impact of allocated resources. Political stability, which ensures the sustainability of the fight for gender equality, would be strengthened by integrating the gender perspective in a coherent and systematic way.

France announces the implementation of its feminist diplomacy in 2019, followed by Spain in 2020 and Germany in 2021. By positioning itself as one of the leaders of this policy, France intends to maintain an important role in international negotiating bodies in the field of gender equality. The guideline focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and support for grassroots feminist organizations.

Through its official development assistance, France supports equality between women and men in a wide range of sectors, including education, entrepreneurship, SRHR, the fight against gender-based violence and climate change. Every year since the adoption of its feminist diplomacy, France has increased the funds allocated to support feminist organizations and UN agencies. The austerity plan, announcing a reduction of 800 million euros allocated to official development assistance will weaken this feminist ambition and the commitments made by France as part of Law no. 2021-1031 of August 4, 2021 on programming for inclusive development and the fight against global inequalities.

Unlike Germany, France’s approach is not holistic. It does not address defense and security, trade or digital issues. Spain has also distinguished itself by drawing up a detailed guide to its feminist foreign policy, providing a clear framework for the practical implementation of this approach and a coherent roadmap for orienting Spanish diplomatic action towards feminist objectives. To date, French feminist diplomacy lacks a clear definition.

In addition, France needs to assert its positions more firmly in multilateral bodies : greater political support would boost the country’s visibility and influence on the international scene, and enable it to take a leading role in the fight for gender equality.

Focus 2030 : What do you think of France’s position on the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security Agenda ? To what extent is France’s feminist foreign policy reflected in the resolution of current conflicts and crises ?

Alice Apostoly et Déborah Rouach : For France to truly embody the feminist values it promotes on the international scene, it is imperative that the country gives concrete expression to its commitments to feminist diplomacy. France contributed to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. France has adopted its third national plan for 2021-2025 with 4 flagship commitments : prevention by raising awareness of the issues involved in combating gender-based violence, women’s rights, and gender equality ; protection of women and girls and the fight against impunity ; women’s participation in decisions relating to peace and security ; promotion of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the National Action Plan.

While feminist diplomacy should mean defending the fundamental rights of women regardless of their origins, we note a variable-geometry protection of women’s rights. France has provided a mobile DNA analysis laboratory, support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the relevant Ukrainian courts, specific training for Ukrainian police and judges, and financial support for the United Nations Population Fund for Ukrainian women victims of sexual violence and Ukrainian refugees.

It is distressing to note that no initiative has been taken for the women of Gaza, even though they face sexist and sexual violence, severe menstrual precariousness and a lack of access to sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health services. France is exacerbating their situation by suspending its financial aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), whose actions today cannot meet the needs of 2 million civilians.

France has also weakened the UN agenda. While the war in Ukraine is frightening because of its geographical proximity and the stakes in terms of energy resources, and the bombings in Gaza continue, French funding for gender-related development aid linked to the WPS Agenda has been falling steadily since 2019, from $4.3 billion to $600 million in 2023.

The country is the world’s third biggest arms exporter - which explains the limits of its feminist foreign policy on defense and trade. Among its trading partners are Saudi Arabia and Israel, two belligerent nations that disregard international humanitarian law and flout women’s rights.

Last but not least, the role of women in conflict prevention and peace-building is still not taken into account. Female representation in peace negotiations reached only 16% in 2022.

NB : The opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the ideas of Focus 2030.