Page 39 - A Gender-Sensitive Indian Foreign Policy- Why? and How?

Indian Council
of World Affairs

While India’s diplomatic architecture has already adopted tools
for soft power diplomacy, embracing a Feminist Foreign Policy
could further place India’s existing efforts in a better position to
fulfil its global power ambition by prioritizing human security and
gender issues.

While India’s diplomatic architecture has already adopted tools for soft
power diplomacy, embracing a Feminist Foreign Policy could further place
India’s existing efforts in a better position to fulfil its global power ambition
by prioritizing human security and gender issues.

Taking such an approach would potentially allow India to portray itself
as a country that is concerned about variegated issues; perform better in
indicators and indexes that are designed to assess the overall development
of nations, setting an example for other countries; and contribute rigorously
towards empowering women, and bringing about sustainable peace.

Adoption of Feminist Foreign Policy could also provide a starting point
for an internal shift in India’s domestic context, especially in terms of
strictly defined patriarchal gender roles, in which women continue to be
subordinated to men. Empirical research has suggested that gender equality
is an important pre-requisite for the economic and social development of a
nation, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and the advancement
of national security. By eliminating existing barriers that restrict women’s
participation and other marginalized groupings in India’s decision-making
processes it would enable more inclusive policies.

Finally, a FFP could provide a major boon to the country’s international
relations by indicating its commitment to women empowerment, which
would further allow India to foster stronger ties with countries that have
either adopted this framework — such as Mexico, Sweden, and Canada — or
that are otherwise prominent advocates of gender equality. Considering that
FFP is an all-inclusive approach, it could also push India to foster relations
with other nations by engaging with civil society organizations that already
have a strong human rights standing in those countries.

FFP, therefore, offers India a platform to deepen its commitments and make
its presence felt as an emerging power. India’s past efforts signal that it is

Adoption of Feminist Foreign Policy could also provide a starting
point for an internal shift in India’s domestic context, especially in
terms of strictly defined patriarchal gender roles, in which women
continue to be subordinated to men. 39

A GENDER-SENSITIVE INDIAN FOREIGN POLICY Why? and How?