Mexico is the only Spanish-speaking country in all of Northern America. Mexico was first declared a sovereign country in the year 1810. Mexico finally gained its freedom after 300 hundred years of Spanish rule. Today when most people think of Mexico they typically think of telenovelas, food, beaches, art, and music. Yet, there is an important aspect of Mexico to discuss. Its Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP).
Mexico’s Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) was first introduced under the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is the 65th president of Mexico. Mexico was the first Global South Country to implement Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) in 2020. Since its implementation, Mexico has been able to join the ranks of the few countries that have implemented a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP). Countries that have implemented a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) include France, Canada, Norway, and Sweden. (Delgado, 2020, page 36) Out of all of the countries named above, Sweden was the first to implement a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) in 2014. (Thompson, Mexican Diplomacy Has Gone Feminist, 2020) According to Kristina Lunz, who is one of the founders of the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy, had stated: “In international circles, there still tends to be this biased perception that industrial countries such as Germany would be leading on topics of social justice and equality—but especially when it comes to feminism in foreign policy, Germany and others can learn lots from Mexico.” (Thompson, Mexican Diplomacy Has Gone Feminist, 2020)
What is a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP)? According to Lyric Thompson, who is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), “It is based on a growing body of academic research suggesting that increasing women’s economic, political and social participation can lead to a richer, more peaceful world —a direct connection between gender equality and national security.” (Haridasani Gupta, 2020, page 1-2) Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) can take different shapes depending on which country it is being implemented by. For example, France and Sweden have a liberal Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) while Mexico has an Intersectional Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP). (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 18-19) It is important to have a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) that is intersectional. Intersectional feminism allows for all women to be included. By implementing a Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP), countries can gain a variety of benefits such as economic or social benefits.
Each country that implements Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP) typically has an agenda. For example, Mexico has five main goals when it comes to implementing Feminist Foreign Policy (FPP). The first goal they have is to implement a “feminist foreign policy” (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 4) The second goal they have is to implement more measures that work towards achieving gender equality. (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 4) The third goal is to have an equal number of men and women (also known as gender parity) working in the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Mexico (such as consulates and embassies). (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 4) The fourth goal they have is to combat gender-based violence (domestically and internationally). (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 4) The fifth and final goal they have is to implement a feminist foreign policy that would be considered intersectional. (Zhukova, Sundström, & Elgström, 2021, page 4)
Mexico has made more strides in recent months to further its promise of implementing a feminist foreign policy. Just recently, two long-term female career diplomats were appointed to The Ministry of Foreign Relations. (Mexico: SRE Announces Appointments to North American Consular Network to Advance Feminist Foreign Policy, 2021) This goes into Mexico’s goal of having an equal number of men and women in their consulates and embassies. The newest appointees, Audrey Rivera Gomez and Vanessa Calva Ruiz will continue to work towards the goal of implementing feminist foreign policy in their everyday work with the Ministry of Foreign Relations. (Mexico: SRE Announces Appointments to North American Consular Network to Advance Feminist Foreign Policy, 2021)
Despite Mexico implementing a feminist foreign policy, Mexico has a high rate of femicide within the country. According to Alisha Haridasani Gupta, who is a gender reporter for the New York Times, “Mexico, in touting its shiny new feminist foreign policy, has been heavily criticized by activists for failing to apply that same thinking to domestic issues even as gender-based violence surges in the country”. (Haridasani Gupta, 2020, page 3) This goes to show that no policy is perfect. Just implementing a feminist foreign policy is not enough. More must be done to keep progressing forward globally.
References
Delgado. (2020). Mexico`s feminist foreign policy. Turkish Policy Quarterly, 19(1), 35–39.
Zhukova, Rosén Sundström, M., & Elgström, O. (2021). Feminist foreign policies (FFPs) as strategic narratives: Norm translation in Sweden, Canada, France, and Mexico. Review of International Studies, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210521000413
Jennifer M Piscopo. (2014). BEYOND HEARTH AND HOME: FEMALE LEGISLATORS, FEMINIST POLICY CHANGE, AND SUBSTANTIVE REPRESENTATION IN MEXICO / Más allá del hogar: Las legisladoras, el cambio feminista en las políticas y la representación sustantiva en México. Revista Uruguaya de Ciencia Política, 23(2), 87–.
Mexico : SRE Announces Appointments to North American Consular Network to Advance Feminist Foreign Policy. (2021). MENA Report.
Alisha Haridasani Gupta. (2020). What Do Sweden and Mexico Have in Common? A Feminist Foreign Policy: In Her Words. New York Times (Online).
Thompson, L. (2020, January 14). Mexican diplomacy has gone feminist. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/14/mexican-diplomacy-feminist-foreign-policy/
Yuval-Davis, N. (2006, August 1). Intersectionality and feminist politics. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qsi2dSuawRwnEBtu2MxRAyUOVG6aPiML/view
