Abstract
This thesis analysed Namibia’s foreign policy (behaviour) at the United Nations (UN)
regarding the topic of gender from 1990 to 2022. The focus was on the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA), United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and United
Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as the representative case studies of the
UN. Namibia’s foreign policy includes the topic of gender in the context of a country
that faces many more bread-and-butter issues and challenges. Namibia’s foreign
policy has also been both lauded and criticised. Namibia’s foreign policy behaviour
vis-à-vis the topic of gender is thus unknown and ambiguous. The overarching
research question asks, “Is there a rationale for Namibia’s foreign policy position on
gender at the United Nations?” This study made use of a qualitative methodology and
an explanatory, single-case study design. Expert interviews and content analysis were
the main qualitative data collection methods used. The six-step analytical framework
of foreign policy behaviour at international organisations guided the analysis.
The key findings of the study are that Namibia does indeed have a rationale for its
foreign policy position on gender. Moreover, Namibia’s foreign policy position of being
an advocate for the topic of gender is deliberate. Furthermore, the country is
committed to the topic of gender at the UN, and there are several internal and external
drivers of gender in the Namibian foreign policy, with internal drivers being the most
dominant. The study also found that Namibia’s foreign policy behaviour at the UNGA,
UNSC, and UNHRC is consistent with its stated foreign policy on gender, and Namibia
effectively made use of its time at the UN to support and advocate for gender equality.
More so, Namibia’s foreign policy behaviour at the UN vis-à-vis the topic of gender
reflects typical small state foreign policy.
The study makes an original contribution to research on small state foreign policy,
African states’ foreign policy, and Namibia’s foreign policy in general and at the UN
specifically. The study also contributes to the growing literature on gender in foreign
policy. It also builds on Graham’s (2013) analytical model by developing a six-step
analytical framework. This thesis is also the first study to explain any state’s foreign
policy behaviour at the UN by specifically focusing on the topic of gender. There are
also several avenues for further research and opportunities for policy development.