Extract
The first ever conference of women foreign ministers took place in Canada last year. Ministers from 17 countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda and SA, attended.
Before the meeting Sweden and Canada had already committed to pursuing feminist foreign policy. This focuses on the abolition of all forms of gender domination and oppression and aims to overcome gender stereotypes. It also seeks to give women the opportunity to participate in decision-making, to represent the state, and execute the “hard” issues related to a country’s external relations and status.