Human rights diplomacy in action: a case study of the EU and norm change in women's rights.

The European Union is committed to promoting fundamental values, foremost among them being safeguarding and enforcing human rights not only within its own borders but also in its external engagements. Nevertheless, the pursuit of human rights promotion is not a universally applicable panacea and, therefore, no one-fits-all solution. Consequently, incongruities often emerge between the formally enshrined rights and their practical implementation. This disjunction is particularly conspicuous within the sphere of women's rights, wherein the impact of informal norms, such as religious precepts, and customary legal systems routinely undermines the effective realization of statutory rights. Consequently, the following paper is an in-depth analysis focusing on three countries in the Horn of Africa, namely Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenia, and the activities of the European External Action Services delegations in the context of women's rights. Their actions in support of women's rights will be compared with the needs of women's rights organizations on the ground to assess the effectiveness of EU actions. Thus, this analysis serves as a platform for the active participation of third-country actors and their perception of the EU's position as a proactive advocate for protecting and implementing human rights. This paper thus joins the literature on the role of norms in IR. It aims to shed light on what is needed for effective societal norm change using the example of women’s rights in the Horn of Africa. To this end, interviews are conducted on site to give marginalized people a voice.