Ministry presents Feminist Foreign Policy Action Plan in commemoration of International Women's Day

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto Van Klaveren, and the Undersecretaries of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente, and International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza, presented the Plan of Action of the Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP), a document that will guide the third phase of implementation of this instrument, which seeks to establish the principle of gender equality as a guiding principle in the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ceremony, in the context of the commemoration of International Women's Day, took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the Minister highlighted the relevance of having a FFP to guarantee the full exercise of the rights of women, girls and adolescents, both at the national and international level.

"The Feminist Foreign Policy encompasses more than our foreign affairs, it extends to every area of action of our Ministry. Promoting equal rights and opportunities also requires us to bring about profound changes in our organizational culture in order to repair gender asymmetries that have historically been made invisible and naturalized in our Foreign Affairs Ministry," said the Secretary of State.

"Our Feminist Foreign Policy strengthens our participation in regional and multilateral spaces where initiatives are formulated to address this crucial problem. We have joined efforts with international partners to share good practices and formulate solid measures against gender-based violence," he added.

This, the Foreign Minister emphasized, is reflected in the "Declaration on Feminist Foreign Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean", made jointly with other governments, at the VIII Summit of CELAC in early March and in Chile's participation in regional and multilateral spaces, such as the CEDAW and the Belém do Pará Convention.

For her part, Undersecretary De la Fuente highlighted how the FFP has a direct impact on the daily work of the Ministry. "We also believe that consular work is very relevant when it comes to establishing gender equality. For this reason, we have made progress in a protocol that effectively takes charge, from the consular sphere, of protecting women victims of violence abroad," she said.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Claudia Sanhueza addressed the FFP's Plan of Action with regard to international economic relations, noting that, among other issues, it promotes the incorporation of gender chapters in economic-trade agreements. "This is part of the agenda of women's empowerment in economic terms, which not only has benefits for them, but for their households and society as a whole. The export sector generates formal jobs, so this agenda also makes it possible to promote a public policy that encourages the incorporation of companies led by women in an area that is very challenging because it involves reaching the whole world," she said.

The teaser of "10 Chilean women who are changing the world" was also presented at the event. The documentary series, which will be broadcast by TVN, presents the story of 10 Chilean women who are leading different transformations in different countries. Eight of them were present at the activity, where attendees were able to learn a little more about their stories.

Also present at the ceremony were the Undersecretary of Human Rights, Xavier Altamirano, the Undersecretary of Women's Affairs, Luz Vidal, as well as members of the Honorable Diplomatic Corps, authorities, officials and civil servants, among other guests.