How can we unite, act, and resist together to protect the rights of women and girls, as well as gender equality? This question will be at the heart of the 4th Ministerial Conference on Feminist Diplomacy, hosted by France on 22–23 October 2025. The conference will bring together foreign ministers from around the world, representatives of international organisations, development banks, civil society, research institutions, and charitable foundations. Since 2019, France has been advancing feminist diplomacy, making gender equality and women’s rights an intersectoral priority of its foreign policy—covering peace and security, development, democratic governance, humanitarian action, and more. This approach goes beyond rhetoric, translating into concrete state policies and strong partnerships.
France and its partners are already taking action to advance women’s and girls’ rights
France has defined the protection of women’s and girls’ rights, as well as gender equality, as a strategic and geopolitical objective to build fair, inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable societies. Research shows that women’s participation in negotiation processes increases the likelihood of durable outcomes by 35%. Likewise, public policies that fully integrate gender equality are more effective in addressing climate change, fostering economic growth, and strengthening societal resilience. On 7 March 2025, France presented its International Strategy for Feminist Diplomacy. The strategy includes strengthened measures to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights and sets new priorities that place gender equality at the centre of France’s response to contemporary challenges: crises and conflicts, climate change, healthcare, international finance, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. France’s feminist diplomacy implements a range of flagship initiatives. These include the Feminist Organisations Support Fund (FSOF), launched in 2020 to benefit more than 1,400 organisations in 75 countries, and the Online Women’s Rights Lab, created in 2024—the first international platform for sharing and incubating projects against gender-based violence in digital spaces.
Much remains to be done as gender inequality persists
Despite these initiatives and the progress made internationally, much remains to be achieved. According to UN Women, at the current pace, achieving true gender equality worldwide will take nearly 300 years. Today, gender inequality persists and is even worsening. Conflict-related sexual violence increased by 50% between 2022 and 2023. In far too many countries, millions of women are denied the fundamental right to control their own bodies: 193 million women have access to abortion only when their life is at risk, and 142 million women have no access under any circumstances. Wherever crises undermine social structures—Afghanistan, Iran, Gaza, and Sudan—women’s rights are among the first to be violated.
France recognises that it can rely on Ukraine’s engagement. In this regard, more than 70,000 Ukrainian women serve in the armed forces, and tens of thousands more defend their country daily with arms in hand against Russian aggression. They demonstrate every day that courage, a sense of duty, and valour in combat are by no means exclusively male prerogatives. However, war takes a heavy toll on Ukrainian women and girls. That is why, since 2022, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has allocated €6 million to support a range of NGOs working in key areas such as assisting victims of conflict-related sexual violence, combating domestic and gender-based violence, and, more broadly, supporting the resilience, protection, and wellbeing of women and girls affected by war. Women’s contribution to the Ukrainian resistance is crucial both on the frontlines and at home, and it will be equally decisive in securing a just, sustainable peace and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
France supports women’s leadership in Ukraine: by co-financing the Women Empowerment Principles Award 2025 and the annual “Created by Women” Businesswomen’s Award, France consistently promotes women’s access to leadership roles in business and fosters the professional development of all women. In this and other areas, France fully supports Ukraine and will continue to do so.
A high-level conference to reaffirm our collective resolve and ambition
In an international context marked by significant cuts to targeted funding programs and the rise of anti-feminist movements, the 4th Ministerial Conference on Feminist Diplomacy will reaffirm our shared determination to protect and promote women’s rights and gender equality, ensuring no regression. Together, we will continue to act.