Feminist Frontiers Blog

The Asia Pacific region is currently a hotspot for global geopolitics, where regional and global power rivalries shape the landscape through complex patterns of competition, conflict, cooperation and disruptions. As the geopolitical environment evolves, traditional discussions often focus on foreign policy, security, diplomacy and economic strategies, while often overlooking the social dimensions of power that underpin these processes.

Although efforts have been made to ensure gender balance in geopolitical events, forums and delegations, a comprehensive understanding of global power relations requires a deeper exploration of how gendered hierarchies and patriarchal structures influence geopolitical realities. Seemingly non-geopolitical concerns play a crucial role in shaping power dynamics of the global stage, reinforcing narratives of “otherness” through gendered, racialised and sexualised discourses.

Navigating these political realities and advancing gender justice is an important conversation that needs to be held. Integrating feminist perspectives in geopolitics opens up new avenues for understanding the intersection of global power with social identities, enriching geopolitical analyses with insights from marginalised voices. By recognising how power and privilege intersect with gender, we gain a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that influence states, societies and individuals.

Against this background, the Regional FES Gender Justice Project in Asia, seeks to broaden the scope of geopolitical discussions by addressing the intersections of gender justice, power and international relations, with the goal of making geopolitical narratives more diverse and inclusive. Through these contributions we hope to offer new, intersectional lenses that enrich debates and promote gender justice in global politics and explore how feminist perspectives can inform policy making and diplomacy.