“WOULD INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CHANGE IF MOST LEADERS WERE WOMEN? A LIBERAL FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE”

Abstract

This article examines whether international relations (IR) would fundamentally change if most of the world’s political leaders were women, using a liberal feminist perspective. While difference feminism argues that women’s leadership could transform global politics through empathy and cooperation, liberal feminism maintains that women, when given equal access to power, operate within the same political, economic, and security structures as men. Drawing on theoretical debates and real-world examples, this paper argues that a greater presence of women in leadership would not significantly alter the core dynamics of international relations, such as power politics, state sovereignty, and national interests.

Case studies of leaders including Jacinda Ardern, Margaret Thatcher, and Angela Merkel demonstrate that women leaders have pursued foreign policies shaped largely by realist considerations, including security, diplomacy, and economic stability. Although increased female leadership may lead to greater emphasis on social justice, human rights, and humanitarian issues, the structural constraints of the international system remain decisive. Consequently, gender balance in leadership is important for representation, but it does not fundamentally transform how states interact globally.