“Feminist Foreign Policy” Faces African Criticism

As an increasing number of Western countries have adopted so-called “feminist foreign policy” strategies, two African female strategists published a critique of the paternalism of these countries’ approaches to international aid.

“Feminist foreign policies…should meaningfully include and reflect the knowledge and expertise of African people rather than telling us how to behave,” says Nimco Ali, the CEO of the Five Foundation which campaigns against female genital mutilation, and Aya Chebbi, a Tunisian diplomat and former African Union youth envoy.

The brand of feminism being promoted by the countries who adopt the label is aligned with the often-controversial priorities of Western countries, both at the UN and in their bilateral aid funding. This includes an emphasis on human-caused climate change, gender ideology, comprehensive sexuality education, and abortion as a right.

However, these priorities fail to address—and sometimes exacerbate—the real problems faced by women in poorer countries.

More From C-FAM: