The EU-LAC Bi-regional Feminist Foreign Policy Forum took place in Barcelona the 1st and 2nd of October 2024, bringing together government authorities, civil society representatives, international organisations and experts from the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean. The forum was organised by the EU-LAC Foundation through the EU-LAC International Women's Network, in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Barcelona, the Spanish Ministry of Equality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Women's Institute.
This event focused on establishing a broad and enriching dialogue on the progress achieved, as well as the challenges that remain, in the implementation of a Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) in both regions.
Under the slogan ‘Concepts, good practices and lessons learned to design and implement a Feminist Foreign Policy in the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean', the event sought to highlight successful experiences, draw lessons learned and offer strategic recommendations for integrating a feminist perspective in foreign policies and bi-regional cooperation. The several round tables and thematic debates focused on key areas such as progress and setbacks in equality and non-discrimination, the fight against gender-based violence, the gender approach to human mobility and the fundamental role of civil society in the formulation of these policies.
The forum began with a high-level round table, in which political authorities discussed the crucial role of the FFP in strengthening bi-regional cooperation in a context of crisis of multilateralism and growing global challenges, sharing their experiences and diagnoses.
This was followed by four thematic sessions. The first, ‘FFP approaches to equality and non-discrimination’, explored how different countries apply FFP in key areas such as women's participation in political decision-making and anti-discrimination, highlighting the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in a transversal manner in all areas of foreign policy.
The second, ‘FFP instruments to contribute to the fight against (gender-based) violence’, analysed how feminist foreign policy instruments can be used to combat various forms of violence, including feminicide, sexual violence, violence in armed conflict, among others. Speakers discussed the potential of FFP to address these human rights violations in a comprehensive and effective manner.
The third session, ‘FFP approaches to human mobility’, discussed the gender perspective of migration phenomena, focusing on how feminist principles can help rethink the approach to migration and generate more inclusive public policies that improve the conditions of both migrants and host societies.
The fourth one, entitled ‘FFP and the role of civil society’, highlighted the importance of feminist movements and organised citizenship in the design, implementation and evaluation of feminist foreign policies. It emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between governments and civil society in order to achieve greater effectiveness in the implementation of the FFP.
The forum took place in a hybrid format, allowing for both face-to-face and online participation of key actors from both regions. After the two days of discussions and sessions, the event concluded with a closing session in which concluding remarks were presented, reaffirming the commitment to the promotion of a feminist foreign policy that contributes to a more equitable and sustainable development in both regions.
