Intersectionality in international religious freedom policies

Abstract

In the context of prominent attacks on religious minorities in several countries, many Western governments have started to introduce the protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in their foreign policies. We argue in this research note that they have neglected the intersections of religion with other categories of difference, such as class and gender, when implementing these policies. The same applies to research on the international promotion of FoRB, which also largely misses an intersectional perspective. We use a case study on the international campaign to free Asia Bibi – a Christian woman in Pakistan, sentenced to death for blasphemy – to illustrate this blind spot and explore some of its causes and consequences. The main objectives of this research note are to raise awareness of intersectionality in foreign policy research, harness the concept of intersectionality for future research on the international promotion of FoRB, and urge foreign policy authorities to give greater attention to the diverse lived experiences of religious minorities when advocating on their behalf.