“Official websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile, MINREL) highlight progress toward greater participation of women in Chilean foreign policy.”

The Colombian Foreign Ministry says that in 2023 the Feminist Foreign Policy obtained an approved investment project worth 3 billion pesos, and that Colombia joined the regional Feminist Foreign Policy group with Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. It also says the minister announced a mandatory gender course in diplomatic training and the adoption of the Feminist Foreign Policy through legislative act.

With the objective of establishing the principle of equality and non-discrimination as a guiding axis in the work of Chile’s foreign policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to undertake the development of a Feminist Foreign Policy that promotes gender mainstreaming actions with the purpose of eliminating the obstacles that prevent the advancement of women and girls towards the full exercise of their autonomy and rights. … Among the internal scope measures: “Greater participation, representation and visibility of women” and “Institutional strengthening, budgetary and of participation and visibility of women and the challenges for gender equity.”

The ministry states that the new policy “se configura ‘como una estrategia de inserción internacional acorde a los desafíos que plantea la agenda global’” and that it “busca establecer el principio de igualdad de género como un eje rector en el quehacer de la Cancillería.” It adds: “Chile hoy más que nunca, aspira al desarrollo de políticas y acciones que promuevan la autonomía y el empoderamiento de las mujeres en distintos espacios para construir una sociedad más justa, inclusiva y sostenible.” The release highlights that Chile thus becomes “el primer país sudamericano en implementar una Política Exterior Feminista”.

In a speech during “Semana de Unidas 2022”, Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola emphasized Chile’s commitment: “The development of a feminist foreign policy (PEF) will be a distinctive hallmark and a vanguard element of our diplomacy, consistent with Chile’s commitment to human rights… and with the participation of women on equal terms, free from violence and discrimination.” She added that Chile “is beginning to experience transversal changes where we are all called to be part” in order to advance towards a feminist foreign policy.

The ministry announces the start of the Gender Affairs Division and explains that its work will include: “Igualmente, se fortalecerá la participación de mujeres en espacios diplomáticos y negociaciones internacionales, junto con reforzar la coherencia del país respecto a los compromisos globales en materia de derechos humanos, género y feminismo”. It notes that this contributes to “las credenciales del país ante organismos multilaterales, Estados y sociedad civil.”

In this official column, the Foreign Ministry writes: “Coincidimos en que la presencia femenina transforma la naturaleza del diálogo diplomático, promoviendo acuerdos más integradores, duraderos y con mayor impacto.” It highlights concrete measures: “destaco los avances de nuestro Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, el que ha impulsado medidas concretas como la obtención del Sello de Igualdad de Género del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) y la creación de la División de Género.” These initiatives are described as “pasos sustantivos hacia la promoción de una participación plena, equitativa y significativa de las mujeres en todos los niveles del quehacer diplomático”.

The news page on the Feminist Foreign Policy site features multiple items such as: “Chile and Norway sign Memorandum of Understanding on Gender Equality in Foreign Policy”; “Subsecretary leads conversation on Beijing+30 and reaffirms Chile’s commitment to the rights of women and girls”; and “Director of Consular Policy highlights the experience of the Ministry in incorporating the gender approach.” Another highlighted item reports that the Foreign Ministry “presents the balance of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Feminist Foreign Policy,” indicating ongoing monitoring and progress in this area.

The Division of Gender Affairs institutionalizes this vision, seeking to guarantee the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in diplomatic action and to effectively fulfil the international commitments assumed by the country. … This commitment has been reflected in the incorporation of the gender perspective in multilateral forums, the promotion of international agreements that strengthen the full and equitable participation of all people, as well as through the promotion of the rights of women and girls.

At the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the ministry reports: “la embajadora Carla Serazzi… presentó el Plan de Acción de la Política Exterior Feminista (PEF) chilena, lanzada el pasado 7 de marzo.” It notes that “Durante su intervención, la embajadora Serazzi destacó que Chile es el primer país que diseña un Plan de Acción, que permitirá seguir avanzando en la implementación de la PEF.” She also referred to “el aporte que realizan las mujeres en el multilateralismo,” underscoring women’s role in Chile’s foreign policy practice.

The ministry reports that the two undersecretaries met civil society “para dar cuenta de los avances que ha tenido la implementación de la Política Exterior Feminista, que presentará su segundo balance esta semana.” They highlighted “la firma de 10 memorandos de entendimiento con diversos países, así como la incorporación de capítulos de comercio y género en acuerdos comerciales, que ha permitido avanzar de manera concreta en la disminución de brechas existentes.” Subsecretary de la Fuente stated: “Lo que hemos construido en materia de Política Exterior Feminista es sólido… se vincula con pilares esenciales de la proyección internacional del país como la promoción de los derechos humanos.”

This tag page groups the Ministry’s communications on Feminist Foreign Policy and gender. Headline items include: “Chile participates in the World Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing and reaffirms its commitment to gender equality”; “Subsecretary leads in Rome dialogue on Feminist Foreign Policy: ‘It is consistent with our commitment to democracy’”; and “Foreign Ministry obtains the highest distinction of the UNDP Gender Equality Seal granted to public institutions.” These pieces collectively emphasize Chile’s efforts and recognition in advancing gender equality and the participation and visibility of women in its foreign policy.

Reporting on the Mexico conference, the ministry notes: “la subsecretaria destacó a la Política Exterior Feminista como un eje fundamental de las relaciones internacionales de Chile y el quehacer de todos los ámbitos de la cancillería, ya que ‘equilibra continuidad y cambio en nuestra estrategia de inserción internacional conforme a los desafíos que plantea la agenda global’.” It adds that the policy “responde a una ambiciosa meta de ‘impulsar la igualdad de género en todos los ámbitos de acción del Estado’.” This frames gender equality, and thus women’s participation, as a core goal in Chile’s foreign policy.

In a seminar organised by the Embassy of China in Chile, the ministry recounts that Subsecretary Gloria de la Fuente “destacó la importancia que ha tenido la Declaración y Plataforma de Acción de Beijing de 1995… para los países con miras a alcanzar la igualdad de género y eliminar los obstáculos que impiden el empoderamiento de las mujeres en el mundo.” She stated: “La Plataforma de Acción de Beijing fue un punto de inflexión que sentó las bases para la adopción de políticas exteriores feministas en diferentes países, que tienen como objetivo integrar la igualdad de género en la política exterior y la cooperación internacional.” The talk is explicitly framed as discussing “los avances en igualdad de género y diplomacia.”

The release explains that Subsecretary Gloria de la Fuente “presentó en la universidad UTE de Quito, Ecuador, los principales lineamientos de la Política Exterior Feminista de Chile.” It notes she shared a national agenda that “ratifica el compromiso del país con la promoción de la democracia y el respeto a los derechos humanos y establece el principio de igualdad e inclusión de género como un imperativo del actuar internacional de Chile.” This positions gender inclusion, including women’s participation, as an imperative in Chile’s foreign policy conduct.

The ministry reports that the book “reúne 14 artículos de reflexión sobre la participación de las mujeres y el enfoque de género en la política exterior en América Latina, considerando distintos ámbitos de acción de la Cancillería.” The event, led by the then foreign minister, underscores the ministry’s interest in highlighting women’s participation and gender perspectives in foreign policy debates.

The SEGIB page says the report on gender equality in multilateral spaces and foreign policy identifies progress, obstacles and challenges in integrating equality and feminist approaches into foreign policy in Ibero-American countries. It specifically notes sustained growth in women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated areas such as defense and international security.

In the description of this official Foreign Ministry video, MINREL states: “Since 2022, Chile has opened a pioneering path by implementing a Feminist Foreign Policy, integrating the gender perspective into its diplomacy and promoting equality in international forums. Discover how this innovative approach is transforming Chilean foreign policy and positioning the country as a leader in gender equity globally.” The framing highlights women and gender equality as central themes of Chile’s foreign policy projection.

Germany’s guidelines on feminist foreign policy, in their Spanish version, highlight that a core goal is to promote the “active participation of women in decision‑making, including in climate protection and peace processes”. Although the document focuses on Germany, it is cited in regional discussions as a reference for countries like Chile that are developing or presenting feminist foreign policy frameworks and emphasizing women’s participation as a key axis.

The Spanish foreign minister underlined that “without the inclusion of women there is no peace”, and that equality and the gender perspective are essential elements of foreign policy. The note situates this in the broader framework of feminist foreign policies promoted by several countries, including Latin American partners such as Chile, which publicly commit to advancing women’s participation in peace and security agendas through their foreign ministries.

This policy paper analysing Chile’s feminist foreign policy states that the Ministry has “taken important steps to incorporate a gender perspective into foreign policy discourse and institutional structures,” including the creation of the Division of Gender Affairs and an Action Plan. At the same time, it warns that “the increased visibility of women in speeches and documents has not yet translated into parity in all decision‑making spaces” and that “there is a risk of symbolic adoption if concrete changes in the distribution of power and resources are not deepened.”

The article explains that feminist foreign policy is “the policy of a state that defines its interactions with other states and movements in such a way that it prioritizes gender equality and enshrines the human rights of women and other traditionally marginalized groups, allocates significant resources to achieve this vision, and seeks to disrupt patriarchal structures across all its spheres of influence (aid, trade, defense and diplomacy).” It notes that several countries, including Chile, are adopting or developing feminist foreign policies that involve increasing women’s participation in decision‑making spaces in foreign policy.

The document describes recent feminist foreign policy initiatives in Latin America, including Chile’s commitment to implement a foreign policy with a gender approach as a state policy. It states that this policy is aimed at promoting and guaranteeing gender equality in bilateral and multilateral policy and places the principle of equality and non‑discrimination at the center of international relations, with strategies such as gender mainstreaming to move towards substantive equality for women and girls.

This regional feminist report analyses feminist foreign policy experiences in various countries, including Chile. It notes that official discourses and documents of foreign ministries frequently highlight gender equality and women’s participation, but warns that there is often a gap between rhetoric and concrete changes in power structures and decision‑making, including persistent under‑representation of women in senior diplomatic posts.

The page announces a course discussing the state of Feminist Foreign Policy as a strategic approach that seeks to integrate gender equality into foreign policy. It treats the topic as one of ongoing progress and debate, including in Latin America and Spain, but does not specifically document Chile’s official foreign ministry output.

The policy brief states that feminist foreign policies in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean are being developed through institutional mechanisms and action plans. It notes, in the case of Spain, the creation of a working group for the 2023-2024 action plan, offering background for broader regional progress on women and foreign policy.

Casa de América says Mexico, Spain and Chile were the first three countries in Ibero-America to adopt and implement a Feminist Foreign Policy. The page argues that institutional and organizational reforms are needed so that women can access decision-making positions in foreign policy on equal terms.

Public statistics and academic analyses up to 2024 indicate that, despite initiatives such as MINREL’s Division of Gender Affairs and the Feminist Foreign Policy action plan, women remain under‑represented in senior diplomatic positions in Chile (for example, among ambassadors and high‑ranked diplomatic posts). These analyses often contrast ambitious official narratives about advancing women’s participation with the slower pace of structural change inside the foreign service.

In the talk, an ambassador states that gender mainstreaming is being applied across foreign policy and that the entire foreign service is committed to promoting a feminist foreign policy while integrating equality as a priority. This is relevant background, but it is a recorded talk rather than a primary document from Chile.