ALLWOOD G. & GUERRINA R. - Gendering EU External Affairs : Towards a more Inclusive Diplomacy ? (25h)

This optional course will explore how and to what extent gender issues have been introduced in EU external affairs. Starting from the notion that equality between men and women is a foundational value of the process of European integration, it will assess the opportunities and constraints of the EU’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion in policy areas traditionally perceived to be gender neutral or gender free. The Treaty of Amsterdam introduced the principle of gender mainstreaming, and gender should therefore be treated as a cross-cutting issue with relevance for all areas of EU policy action, including external affairs. The course will introduce students to the European equality agenda and its underpinning principles. Drawing on a number of gender-sensitive approaches and feminist methodologies, it will explore key debates, from the pivot towards a ‘feminist foreign policy’ to gender mainstreaming climate and social justice. The course will also touch on important and topical issues such as gender-based violence, empowerment, inclusion, LGBTQ+ rights, intersectionality, and violent extremism. Students will explore a range of gender approaches to research and policy analysis in order to identify the way in which social, political and economic hierarchies intervene in global politics and shape the EU’s diplomacy and its alleged role as a normative or feminist power. Students will thus be encouraged to apply these methodological and theoretical tools to examine a range of external policies, such as: trade, security, defence, migration, environment and climate change, border control, and leadership.

Professors: Gill Allwood & Roberta Guerrina

ECTS card

Academic year
2022 - 2023
Semester
Second semester
Course type
Optional courses
ECTS Points
4.50