♀️Feminist Political Thought Unit 13 – Gender in Global Politics & IR

Key Concepts and Theories

• Feminism advocates for political, economic, and social equality of the sexes and seeks to establish equal opportunities for women
• Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people
• Patriarchy describes a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property
• Intersectionality examines how various forms of discrimination centered on race, class, disability, sexuality, and gender identity intersect with gender-based oppression
  • Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to address the experiences of black women who face both racism and sexism
• Standpoint theory argues that an individual's perspectives are shaped by their social and political experiences (Sandra Harding, Nancy Hartsock)
• Gender mainstreaming involves assessing the implications for people of different genders of any planned policy action, legislation, and programs in all areas and levels

Historical Context

• First-wave feminism (late 19th to early 20th century) focused on legal issues, primarily women's suffrage and property rights
  • Key figures include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Emmeline Pankhurst
• Second-wave feminism (1960s-1980s) broadened the debate to include sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, and official legal inequalities
  • Influenced by works like Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex (1949) and Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963)
• Third-wave feminism (1990s-2000s) sought to redefine what it meant to be a feminist, becoming more inclusive and intersectional
  • Addressed issues like gender-based violence, body image, transgender rights, and sex positivity
• Fourth-wave feminism (2010s-present) focuses heavily on sexual harassment, assault, and misogyny, particularly in the workplace and the media
  • Driven by the use of social media and characterized by movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp

Gender in International Relations

• Traditionally, IR has been dominated by realist and liberal theories that often ignore gender or treat it as irrelevant
• Feminist IR emerged in the late 1980s, challenging the gender-blindness of mainstream IR and highlighting the ways in which gender shapes global politics
  • Key scholars include Cynthia Enloe, J. Ann Tickner, and Christine Sylvester
• Gendered division of labor in the global economy often relegates women to low-wage, precarious work (domestic labor, garment industry)
• Women are disproportionately affected by conflict, poverty, and environmental degradation but remain underrepresented in decision-making processes
• UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) recognized the unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls and stressed the importance of their equal participation in peacebuilding

Feminist Approaches to Global Politics

• Liberal feminism focuses on achieving gender equality through legal and political reform within existing structures
  • Emphasizes equal rights, opportunities, and representation for women
• Marxist/socialist feminism views women's oppression as rooted in capitalist economic structures and the gendered division of labor
  • Advocates for the transformation of both patriarchal and capitalist systems
• Radical feminism sees patriarchy as the primary source of women's oppression, permeating all aspects of society
  • Calls for the complete dismantling of patriarchal structures and the creation of women-centered alternatives
• Postcolonial/decolonial feminism critiques Western-centric feminist theories and highlights the experiences of women in the Global South
  • Examines the intersections of gender, race, class, and colonialism
• Ecofeminism draws connections between the exploitation of women and the domination of nature
  • Argues that environmental sustainability and gender equality are interconnected goals

Case Studies and Examples

• Women's peace activism (Liberian Women's Mass Action for Peace, Women in Black)
  • Demonstrates the role of women in grassroots peacebuilding efforts
• Gendered impact of structural adjustment policies (SAPs) in the Global South
  • SAPs often cut social services that disproportionately benefit women and increase their unpaid care work
• Transnational feminist networks (Women's Environment and Development Organization, Association for Women's Rights in Development)
  • Facilitate global solidarity and advocacy on issues like reproductive rights, violence against women, and economic justice
• Feminist foreign policy (Sweden, Canada, Mexico)
  • Integrates gender equality and women's rights into all aspects of foreign policy decision-making
• Women's participation in post-conflict reconstruction (Rwanda, Northern Ireland)
  • Highlights the importance of including women's voices and experiences in peacebuilding processes

Challenges and Critiques

• Accusations of Western-centrism and lack of attention to the diversity of women's experiences
  • Need for more inclusive and intersectional approaches that center marginalized voices
• Tensions between universal human rights and cultural relativism
  • Balancing respect for cultural differences with the promotion of gender equality
• Co-optation of feminist language by neoliberal institutions and corporate actors
  • "Empowerment" often reduced to individual economic advancement rather than collective liberation
• Backlash against feminist gains and the rise of anti-feminist movements
  • Fueled by anxieties about shifting gender roles and the perceived threat to traditional masculinity
• Challenges of implementing feminist principles in practice
  • Resistance from entrenched power structures and the difficulty of translating theory into policy

Current Debates and Future Directions

• Engaging with the complexities of gender identity and the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in global politics
• Developing more nuanced understandings of masculinities and their role in perpetuating gender inequalities
• Addressing the gendered dimensions of pressing global issues like climate change, migration, and the rise of authoritarianism
• Promoting feminist leadership and decision-making in international institutions and national governments
• Imagining and working towards alternative, gender-just futures beyond the confines of existing political and economic systems
  • Emphasis on decolonization, demilitarization, and the creation of more equitable and sustainable forms of global governance

Further Reading and Resources

• "Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics" by Cynthia Enloe
• "Gender in International Relations: Feminist Perspectives on Achieving Global Security" by J. Ann Tickner
• "Feminism and International Relations: Conversations about the Past, Present and Future" edited by J. Ann Tickner and Laura Sjoberg
• "Decolonizing Feminism: Transnational Feminism and Globalization" edited by Margaret A. McLaren
• "The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Security" edited by Caron E. Gentry, Laura J. Shepherd, and Laura Sjoberg
• "Gender, Violence and Security: Discourse as Practice" by Laura J. Shepherd
• "Feminist Security Studies: A Narrative Approach" by Annick T. R. Wibben
• Websites and online resources:
  • Feminist Foreign Policy (https://centreforfeministforeignpolicy.org/)
  • Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (https://www.wilpf.org/)
  • Association for Women's Rights in Development (https://www.awid.org/)