The BRIGITTE LIVE interview
Annalena Baerbock: “Equality is a yardstick for democracy”
BRIGITTE Live: Annalena Baerbock in the BRIGITTE conversation
Feminist foreign policy: Two words that polarize, even though this type of politics should have been taken for granted for a long time. In the BRIGITTE Talk, foreign politician Annalena Baerbock spoke, among other things, about the importance of feminist approaches; Equality is a “measure of democracy,” said the Green politician.
As part of the BRIGITTE LIVE discussion series, BRIGITTE editor-in-chief Brigitte Huber and chief reporter Meike Dinklage welcomed Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to the mid-term review on Thursday, October 12, 2023. You can watch the video of the talk above. In our summary, we’ll already tell you why feminist foreign policy is the right path, according to Annalena Baerbock.
Why feminist foreign policy is important
The question of equality is one of the central questions all over the world, said Annalena Baerbock in the BRIGITTE Talk. Because “if you suppress or exclude half of the population around the world or keep them out of the labor market, then you only have half the strength of a country.” In many countries around the world, the feminist foreign policy approach is also practiced, sometimes just under a different term. Baerbock sees the fact that the topic is being discussed so strongly as positive: “I’ve never stood in front of so many cameras, although there have been other crisis situations,” said the Green politician – and that’s a good thing. There is now much more discussion about what can be changed and done better in the area of feminist foreign policy and feminist development policy. A feminist foreign policy could open channels of conversation and create a network.
“If you want to change structures, there is always headwind”
Some structures would have to change or be given up so that women can be there, said Baerbock. A number of other actors would want to take part because “it’s not just about women’s rights, not just about equality in societies”, it’s also about questions of power or the distribution of resources in countries. The movement is growing and more and more countries are joining. “I was in New York at the General Assembly of the United Nations a few weeks ago,” said Baerbock. There was also a meeting of all female foreign ministers worldwide, from Mongolia, Rwanda, Latin America, all in one room. That opens up whole new conversations. According to the government politician, clear attitudes from women in politics could make a big difference. But it’s not about completely excluding men. “In the feminist foreign policy group there are also countries with male foreign ministers who pursue a feminist foreign policy. They also take part.”
Are you a feminist, Ms. Baerbock?
When asked whether she was a feminist herself, Baerbock replied: “‘Am I a feminist?’ is a different question for me than ‘Do I think feminism is important?'” But equality is a very important issue for her and she sees that a rethink is taking place. “My experience is that the issue has become more important for everyone across the board,” said the Green politician. You can often judge the condition of a country by how women’s rights are in the country. Equality is a “measure of democracy”. A lot still needs to happen in this area in Germany too.
Sexism continues to be part of everyday life for women
Some of the things she experiences as a woman are also experienced by other women – she often receives letters from women who experience something similar to what she discusses publicly. That gives her strength and shows that something still has to happen. Women are attacked more often because they have the wrong argument or the wrong attitude, their voice is too shrill or their outfit is inappropriate, says Baerbock. In Germany there is also the compatibility of work and family. often a topic. “When I was running for chancellor, some people asked me whether you could actually do this job with small children – and whether you can do this job as a woman and mother and I found the question very strange at the time,” said Baerbock. Another foreign politician told her that, despite having four children, she had never been asked about something like that in her entire political career Sexist comments and threats are part of everyday life for many women “in all social classes and in all professional groups and in all countries in the world.” That’s why it’s so important to continue talking about it. And that’s exactly what she did in BRIGITTE LIVE.