Beyond feminist foreign policy: Disarmament and demilitarisation

Global military spending reached a record $2.24 billion in 2022 – rising for the eighth consecutive year. At the same time, there’s been an increase in governments committing to adopt feminist approaches to their foreign, development and security policies – yet these have fallen short of genuine transformation of oppressive social, economic and political systems driving conflict and inequality. 

A feminist foreign, development and security policy would mean taking effective steps to end arms production and exports; investing in inclusive human security instead of military structures; developing participatory and intersectional security policies that recognise and transform structural inequalities as drivers of conflict, violence and inequalities; and interrogating power by acknowledging the colonial and patriarchal legacies that have shaped its structures.

This briefing, originally published with GAPS and WILPF, offers suggestions on how UK policymakers can reconcile the tension between policy-making aspirations and constraints, and offers practical recommendations for how to adopt a feminist security, foreign and development policy. It is part of the Beyond Feminist Foreign Policy briefing series, which also addresses other thematic areas: climate change; the triple nexus; migration and asylum; and meaningful participation and partnerships.

Read the briefing here.

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