Albania Towards a Feminist Foreign Policy – Geldona Metaj, July 2024

Albania has taken meaningful steps toward gender equality domestically and has shown commitment at both regional and international levels for women’s rights. However, moving beyond declarations to implement a truly feminist foreign policy requires sustained political commitment. This highlights the need for Albania to further engage in developing a unified feminist foreign policy framework that aligns with that of the European Union.

The Framework of Feminist Foreign Policy

Feminist principles emphasize the protection of women's rights, meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes, equitable resource distribution to advance gender equality, and tackling gender-based violence and discrimination. By prioritizing gender equality, initiatives from various countries are increasingly recognizing the importance of feminist principles in shaping inclusive foreign policy agendas.

A feminist foreign policy, as advocated by organizations such as Kvinna till Kvinna, offers a holistic approach to addressing global inequalities and promoting gender equality. It implies sustained efforts, strong leadership, and transparent processes. The core principles—rights, resources, and representation—are central to feminist foreign policy and strategies for protecting human rights, distributing resources equitably, and promoting the inclusion of women in decision-making. Embracing a feminist foreign policy shows solidarity with marginalized groups, resists anti-gender movements, contributes to conflict prevention, and advocates funding for women's organizations worldwide.

For the first time, the goals of feminist foreign policy were defined at an international level in the Political Declaration on Feminist Approaches to Foreign Policy during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at a high-level event in New York on September 20, 2023. This was a pivotal moment, providing a more standardized definition of feminist foreign policy as a “feminist, intersectional, and gender-transformative approach to foreign policy, based on the integration of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in all their diversity, taking into account multiple forms of discrimination, in close collaboration with civil society and feminist movements.”

Albania signed this Political Declaration alongside representatives of governments from the Feminist Foreign Policy Plus (FFP+) group, which includes Albania, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Israel, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Mongolia, Rwanda, Spain, the Netherlands, and Tunisia.

Earlier, in 2022, the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy held its inaugural conference dedicated to feminist foreign policy in cooperation with the governments of Canada, Sweden, Mexico, and civil society organizations. This summit brought together practitioners and leaders of feminist foreign policy to support the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and expertise, while promoting advocacy for the adoption of feminist foreign policy across other countries.

Also in 2022, a Conference on Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy was held in Berlin, addressing issues such as gender-based violence, growing resistance to gender issues, inclusive economies, feminist cultural relations and education policies, the role of women in conflict situations, gender-sensitive humanitarian aid, gender budgeting, and the impact of feminist foreign policy on global peace and security.

Building on that platform, the Netherlands hosted the following conference in September 2023, aiming to deepen understanding and stimulate dialogue on feminist foreign policy. In 2024, Mexico will host the next conference, signaling the ongoing commitment of countries to advance feminist principles in international policies.

Pioneers of Feminist Foreign Policy

Sweden's efforts in 2014 created the first model of this transformative movement. Sweden committed to integrating gender equality into all aspects of its external relations, developing the so-called 3R approach—rights, representation, and resources—in formulating its feminist foreign policy.

Since then, an increasing number of countries have followed Sweden's lead or expressed intent to adopt a feminist foreign policy. In Canada, the adoption of the Feminist International Assistance Policy reflects a commitment to eradicating poverty and promoting peace and prosperity through gender equality. Similarly, in 2020, Mexico became the first country from the Global South to adopt a feminist foreign policy, even embedding these principles into its Constitution.

The Netherlands has long prioritized women’s rights and gender equality in its foreign policy. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has paid particular attention to the essential participation of women and the impact of policy on women in diplomacy. The country’s commitment to feminist principles aligns with broader efforts to advance gender equality globally.

Germany has also taken concrete steps to integrate feminist perspectives into its foreign policy agenda. In March 2020, the German Federal Foreign Office produced a report on gender equality in foreign policy, emphasizing the government’s commitment to gender integration and the empowerment of women and girls. Meanwhile, the European Parliament recommended in 2020 a feminist foreign and security policy, calling for gender mainstreaming, protection of women’s rights, equal participation of women in conflict prevention and mediation, and proposing that 85% of Official Development Assistance be directed to gender equality programs. Political parties and lawmakers in the UK and the US are also advocating for the implementation of such policies.

Albania’s Steps Toward a Feminist Foreign Policy

Albania has been proactive in integrating gender equality into domestic political programs. It participated in the Conference on Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy in Berlin in 2022 and signed the Political Declaration on Feminist Approaches to Foreign Policy at the 78th UN General Assembly in 2023. Through this declaration, Albania and other countries reaffirm their commitment to feminist, intersectional, and gender-transformative approaches in foreign policy.

While Albania has verbally expressed its commitment to a feminist foreign policy, concrete steps toward implementation remain unclear. There is still no public declaration or clearly articulated policy on the inclusion of feminist approaches in the country’s foreign policy initiatives. However, recognizing the transformative potential of gender equality both nationally and globally, Albania has taken various actions and initiatives.

Albania adopted National Action Plans for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Women, Peace, and Security for 2018–2020 and 2023–2027. These plans recognize the importance of women's participation in peace and security efforts and include concrete steps to enhance women’s involvement in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding.

Furthermore, Albania has prioritized appointing women to key diplomatic positions, acknowledging their valuable contribution to shaping foreign policy priorities and strategies. However, women's representation as ambassadors remains lower than that of men. According to data published by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (April 2024), only 28% of ambassadors are women, compared to 72% men. In EU countries, women represent 39% of Albania’s ambassadors. At international missions, Albania is represented by 4 women (UN, Geneva, UNESCO, and UNOV.OSCE) and 3 men (EU, Council of Europe, NATO). Still, these figures are insufficient to capture the full scope of women’s roles within the diplomatic corps. Therefore, further efforts are needed to include gender-disaggregated data on women’s participation in foreign policy, reinforcing Albania’s alignment with gender equality efforts toward a feminist foreign policy.

Albania has also undertaken legislative reforms to address gender inequalities and systemic discrimination, aimed at strengthening legal protections for women and girls and promoting gender-sensitive policies across sectors. Albania actively engages in regional and international forums to promote gender equality and women’s rights. Through partnerships with organizations such as the EU and the UN, Albania has pursued national and regional policies and initiatives focused on women’s empowerment, combatting gender-based violence, and promoting inclusive development.

Despite domestic progress, translating these efforts into a feminist foreign policy requires consistent political will and public awareness. Since 2022, Albania has joined international efforts toward feminist foreign policy, but domestic initiatives for concrete actions are lacking, as is widespread public dissemination of information about Albania’s steps toward feminist foreign policy. Moreover, there is limited information about the potential benefits that adopting a feminist foreign policy would bring to Albania.

Several challenges may arise in implementing feminist foreign policy, especially due to the use of the term “feminism,” which is often replaced with “gender equality” in domestic policy language. The term “feminism” is frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted as "women dominating men." As such, the concept of feminist foreign policy may face resistance or opposition from those against feminism or women’s advancement in political life, diplomacy, and other fields. Additionally, research on feminism and its societal impact in Albania is limited and sporadic. This affects the understanding of feminism and its implications and may slow down the formulation of clearly defined feminist approaches in Albania’s foreign policy.

Therefore, it is essential for Albania to issue a public declaration of its political commitment and outline concrete initiatives for a feminist foreign policy. A public commitment ensures that feminist principles are not only symbolic but are acted upon. Second, to overcome resistance to feminist foreign policy, institutional capacities must be strengthened to support and launch specific initiatives. Third, awareness and education of the political structure—including policymakers, diplomats, and society at large—are crucial to understanding the importance and benefits of feminist foreign policy.

Feminist foreign policy represents a transformative movement aiming to advance gender equality and justice in shaping foreign policy agendas. These efforts require continuous engagement, institutional support, and perseverance. Countries can work together toward more just and inclusive policies, with feminist foreign policy serving as a cornerstone for promoting peace, security, and prosperity for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Geldona Metaj is a PhD candidate in gender and politics at the University of Tirana.

The opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation or the organizations the authors work for.