Strategic narratives beyond the state: the case of Mexico’s feminist foreign policy

Abstract This article examines Mexico's Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) through the lens of strategic narratives, focusing on how the policy has been constructed and mobilized within broader international, national and individual storytelling practices. Building on recent applications of strategic narratives to feminist foreign policies, the article conceptualizes FFP as operating at two interconnected levels. At the macro level, it argues that the adoption of FFP represents a continuation and adaptation of Mexico's longstanding national narrative in the ‘effective multilateral’ system as a regional leader committed to gender equality and human rights. At the micro level, it shows how key political actors involved in the promotion and adoption of FFP have deployed it as an individual strategic narrative, contributing to personal legitimacy, visibility, and political positioning. It draws on a thematic analysis of official press releases and public speeches by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside a systematic analysis of social media communications, specifically on X, by political elites central to the policy's adoption. Situating these narratives against persistent domestic gender-based violence and political tensions surrounding feminist movements, the article highlights a dissonance between internal realities and international commitments. It argues that Mexico's FFP functions more as a narrative to reinforce the country's international image and politicians' personal branding rather than as a substantive change from past foreign policy practices.