Civil Society Organizations as Diplomatic Actors? How Civil Society Influences Feminist and Anti-gender Foreign Policy in an Era of Polarization

Gender equality is an issue polarizing international politics.

On the one hand, since 1970s strong currents favor gender equality (pro-gender) in international organizations and in individual states, e.g. Sweden’s feminist foreign policy. On the other hand, in the last decade the currents opposing gender equality are on the rise (anti-gender).

These dramatic new developments raise crucial questions about the knowledge-production and diffusion of (anti)gender ideas internationally.This project aims to examine, compare and theorize civil society organizations’ (CSO) knowledge production and advocacy in (anti)gender issues in the international arena.

The project intervenes at the intersection of diplomacy and civil society scholarship with two foci:CSO advocacy for pro-/anti-gender foreign policy domestically and in international arenasCSO knowledge production and policy advice on gender issues in Ministries of Foreign Affairs, including training of diplomats abroadThe case studies are one state pursuing pro-gender foreign policy (Sweden), one anti-gender foreign policy (Poland) and one international organization (European Union) where the pro- and anti-gender positions clash.

For three years, a variety of qualitative methods will be used to capture the strategies, networks and framing of pro/anti-gender CSOs’ influence on foreign policy.

The results will be of major importance in moving the study of civil society, diplomacy and international polarization on gender forward.