In May this year, the Scottish Government published its plan for a Global Affairs Framework. It included the following commitment:
We will review Scottish Government policies and programmes where they have an international dimension to ensure that they reflect a feminist approach to foreign policy. And we will seek to learn from other countries in this area and from the experiences and expertise of the Global South.
The text of the Government’s plan can be found here.
In the Alliance’s proposals for a Global Solidarity Strategy we argued that such a feminist approach could be reflected by ensuring that programming is iterative and adaptive, that feminist principles are aligned across domestic and international affairs and that the government could use the OECD Gender Equality Marker to ensure that mainstreaming equality is tracked properly. We also argued that women and girls need to meaningfully participate in programme design and implementation.
The Alliance, in cooperation with the Scottish Council for Global Affairs. has now been contracted by the Scottish Government to help gather ideas on what that feminist approach to global affairs might look like by hosting some focused consultative workshops.
We would love your ideas on what questions we should be asking in these sessions. What do you think a feminist approach to transforming sustainable development means? What is a feminist approach to peace and security really? How can we ensure that women and girls meaningfully participate in programme design and implementation? What would a feminist approach to trade look like?
The discussions will be held over the coming 4 months and will be focussed around the following themes:
- International development and practice
- Peace and security
- Trade and Economic Justice
- Climate and environmental justice
Ideas for issues that should be explored would be particularly welcome. Please send ideas to admin@intdevalliance.scot by 12 November if possible.
If you have specific expertise in any area or you would like to nominate someone to participate from outside Scotland for any specific discussion please do so.
Places will be very limited but the aim will be to have as diverse a representation of views present as possible.
Results and recommendations will be shared on our website at the end of the process.