What better way to engage in shared learning and inspiration on how to achieve gender equality than by bringing together activists from all over the world for an evening of fun, food and feminism? Results don’t always come from serious panel discussions and keynote addresses. Sometimes, great outcomes arise when you try something different, like the new concept of a Feminist Foreign Policy Pub Quiz. This unique interactive event has sparked a new dialogue and connections between governments, civil society and private philanthropy on advancing gender justice. And feminist fierceness to boot!
On International Women’s Day 2023, during the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) in New York, feminist activists from different corners of the world were invited to a pretty unconventional event – the first ever international Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) Pub Quiz. The Pub Quiz was conceived by a collaboration of WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, CMI!, Oxfam Novib (Masarouna) and Hivos (Free To Be Me). The event aimed at creating a vibrant space for networking, dialogue, and learning how to put feminist principles into practice in foreign policy.
As with any pub quiz, participants joined different teams and engaged in multiple rounds. These included a multiple choice round on famous quotes by feminists, a round on how the principles of FFP relate to the internet (introducing the concept of a feminist internet), and a group assignment asking participants to draw what a true FFP could look like. As there were prizes to be won, the competition occasionally became quite fierce! But there was much laughter and cheers for all teams, celebrating everyone’s creativity, knowledge and experiences.
Government representatives from the Netherlands, France, Canada, and Mexico engaged directly with diverse civil society actors, including trans and sex worker activists from the global south. The informal setting allowed for an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, where participants felt heard and valued. Karen Burbach, Head of the Gender Taskforce at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), praised the event for its refreshing approach. Participants from the global south echoed this sentiment, highlighting how the creative environment allowed them to voice their concerns and recommendations more effectively than in traditional settings.
The success of the FFP Pub Quiz paved the way for new opportunities for engagement in other international spaces. In September 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a side event co-sponsored by the Dutch MFA and organised by CMI!, the Alliance for Feminist Movements, and the Global Partner Network on FFP, built on the momentum created by the Pub Quiz. This event aimed to strengthen allyship between governments, philanthropy, and feminist civil society to counter the anti-rights movement.
In October 2023, just prior to the Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference in The Hague, WO=MEN and its members organised an engaging Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival. The festival was a playful, informal and inspiring day about everything related to FFP. It was designed by and for civil society from the Netherlands and abroad. The day culminated in the second FFP Pub Quiz, again demonstrating the power of informal, engaging events with content and humour to foster meaningful connections and dialogue.
CMI! has been an active player since the earliest stages of development of the current Dutch Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). A major contribution has been the publication of a special magazine issue on FFP, in collaboration with WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, the journalist platform Vice Versa and fellow feminist strategic partnership Our Voices Our Futures (OVOF). This magazine, available in both Dutch and English, has been reaching a broad international audience (including CSW67 and CSW68), spreading the principles of Feminist Foreign Policy and inspiring similar initiatives.
This is one of the seven stories we have published as CMI! Stories of Change 2023 under the #FundWhatWorks campaign. The stories portray how activists and organisations worldwide are working to advance human rights and gender justice.
