Gender-Sensitivity and the Possibility of Feminist Foreign Policy in Global Digital Diplomacy

Abstract

While feminist foreign policy (FFP) refers to a set of state-defined norms and a policy label adopted by governments, not all gender-sensitive states choose to embrace this label officially. This raises an essential question for global politics: is adopting the feminist label truly necessary – or even feasible – for promoting gender equality? This study aims to address this question by offering a broader picture of how global politics approach gender equality and FFP. Contrary to many studies that focus only on countries that have officially adopted FFP, this study conducts a comparative analysis of countries’ gender sensitivity and approaches to FFP on a global scale. To this end, ten countries from the G20 were selected; their gender-sensitive discourse, domestic gender regimes, and positions on FFP were comparatively analyzed based on the Facebook accounts of their foreign ministries—serving as tools of digital public diplomacy—during the final quarter of 2024. Methodologically, the study adopts a feminist poststructuralist framework that combines feminist postcolonial and ethical perspectives. The findings show that each state’s approach to FFP and its use of gender-sensitive digital discourse are closely linked to - and shaped by - its unique geographical, sociopolitical, historical, and cultural contexts. Finally, the study observes a broader backlash against the feminist label itself, which is also reflected in feminist foreign policy.

Keywords

feminist international relations, public diplomacy, domestic gender regime, G-20 countries, feminist label backlash

Citation

Uğuz, B. 2026. Gender-Sensitivity and the Possibility of Feminist Foreign Policy in Global Digital Diplomacy. Uluslararası İlişkiler, Advanced Online Publication, 9 July 2026: 1-19. DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.1972420

Affiliations

Beril Uğuz Ph.D., Researcher, Ankara E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0001-5928-1343