In the first days of June 2026, the Spanish government invited global partners to the 5th Feminist Foreign Policy Conference in Madrid, following the first four conferences hosted in Germany, Netherlands and Mexico. There is a growing coalition of willing countries that are intent on moving forward with gender equality, to push-back against authoritarian and anti-right governments. The conference focussed in particular on a more equal global financial architecture, building on the Sevilla Commitment on Financing for Development (Sevilla Compromiso), which was decided by global governments in 2025. In this regard, WECF and partners brought in their expertise on using gender-equality tools to ensure climate funding mechanisms lead to positive impacts on inclusion and women’s economic rights. A second main theme of the conference was Women, Peace and Security, with many speakers bringing evidence of the key role of women in peace and post-conflict processes, including the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine who called for accountability of crimes committed by Russia against women, men and children including hundreds of cases of sexual violence (including prisoners). 

With our WomenPower2030 partners from WEP Nigeria, FEIM Argentina and FEMNET Kenya, we engaged in first in the CSO-pre-conference organised by Civil Society Feminist organisations that took place in the Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation, including a joint session on Feminist Climate Finance (with WEDO) and other sessions with the Collaborative for Feminist Foreign Policy.   

The Spanish government presented it’s recently adopted new Feminist Foreign Policy strategy, that ensures that Spain doubles their gender budgets, that they apply a feminist fiscal policy and enlarge their fiscal base to fund better and more. Spain’s feminist policy also focusses on women moving out of informal sectors where they don’t have access to credits- making sure to put money there where Spain has already made international commitments – and to invest in women and feminist groups so that this finance creates transformative change to overcome the patriarchy.  

The conference was attended by representatives from many countries, including interested countries from Africa and Asia that are increasingly engaged. The conference resulted in an ambitious Madrid join political declaration, that was endorsed by the following countries: Spain, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Rwanda, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Uruguay and United Kingdom. In the declaration, the countries highlight the link to UN processes on climate and environment to achieve ambitious outcomes on gender equality in the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD policy processes.  

The Madrid declaration includes stronger language on “engaging men and boys in all their diversities as allies and agents of change as well as beneficiaries of gender equality, focussing on their respective masculinities to transform unequal power relations and patriarchal structures and their root causes (…)”. It also builds on previous FFP declarations regarding recognizing diverse forms of families and adds new language on honouring the struggles of feminist movements, and paying tribute to women human rights and land defenders.

Importantly, the Madrid declaration commits to strengthen, safeguard and expand enabling environments for civil society, grassroots and feminist organisations included by combatting restrictive laws and practices that threaten their autonomous existence, and by actively addressing the growing global backlash against gender equality. 

We are thankful for the leadership of the Spanish government to advance this powerful work on feminist foreign policy.