Comparative Literature: East & West

Gender Mainstreaming: 'Feminist Foreign Policy' Approaches in the Context of South Asia

This edition is an attempt to explore burgeoning conversations around Feminist Foreign Policy in South Asia with tangential focus on India. The ‘Global North’ has been focusing its attention on foreign policy agendas that are transformative and unique beginning with Sweden taking the initiative in 2014 focusing on rights, representation and resources that impact women. This responsive approach was followed by Canada, France, Luxemburg and Mexico drawing out the ‘Feminist International Assistance’ policy in intersection with focusing on areas namely inclusive governance, security, cross border trade and human rights.

The definition and understanding of FFP is contextual. The feminist foreign Policy that the EU adopted in relation to Iraq specifically focused on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda outlining a gendered perspective on conflict resolution. Examples of India’s contribution towards gender equality must be explored in the light of India’s ratified WPS agenda and (CEDAW) policies. This edition is an exploration of how South Asia’s ‘Feminist Foreign Policies’ define its’ international relations and diplomacy with states in the Global South that circumscribe India vis-a-vis the Global North. A country’s foreign policy is a projection or extension of its National Policy Agendas on a Global Scale. While exploring defense alliances, regional peace and security is tangentially related to women’s peace and security in conflict resolution. In security matters and defense perspectives bringing equity from a gender perspective is imperative. In cross border trade relations, economic interventions focusing on the marginalized and vulnerable become conducive only with foreign policies that are strategically inclusive. Gender mainstreaming in security and strategic issues must be reexamined with mindset-change in policy making. The presence of women in the environment and climate debate can facilitate SDG’s. The gender equity lens in South Asia’s foreign policy approach builds in multi-dimensional perspectives into various aspects of policy making. With these conversations in view, we invite papers on but not limited to the following themes: -

• Inclusive policy making related to defense, geopolitics, trade, health, and the environment in South Asia.
• Gender-conscious approach in security, democracy, and diplomacy on the subcontinent. 
• Foreign Policies in South Asia (Women's Rights, Human Rights, Refugee Rights)
• Environment and Climate Justice
• Women in Policy Making
• Gender and Cross-border Trade Relations
• Gender and Maritime Justice
• Gender in Geo-politics
• Women in Peace and Security in Creative Non-Fictions