Theories of International Relations
" Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression."- bell hooks
A Brief Review:
Feminism thinking entered International Relations as a response to the overwhelming focus on conflict and the state system.
- moved to consider individuals within states
- moved toward analysis of marginalized peoples
- moved toward considering security issues that not only impacted states but also individuals in their daily lives.
- demonstrated that gender rolls were an active component of International Relations.
Empirical Feminism: Counting in the lives of women.
- documenting the lives of women
- documentation gender based policy and institutions.
- women's activism
- counts the number of women in contrast to men in policy making decisions.
Analytical Feminism: Seeks to demonstrate that the field of international relations is constructed around gender biases.
- "The ontology of realist International Relations theory conceives the private sphere, like the international sphere, as a natural realm of disorder. The lower being, represented by women , the body and the anarchical state system, must be subordinated to the higher being, represented by men, the rational mind, state authority." (252 True)
- State attempt to operationalize these biases to construct a coherent identity and to form policy.
- Terms such as 'power' and 'security' reflect hegemonic notions of masculinity
Normative Feminism: Seeks to transform how international relations is done.
- challenges the concept of gender
- There are other dimensions of oppression beyond gender
- "Gender is not the same everywhere"-True
- There is not one version feminism
Feminism in the International arena
- 1979:Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
- Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children (2003)
- July 2010: creation of UN women merging previous divisions dedicated to human rights
Since 1990s-2000s 'gender' seen as increasingly important for tool for international organizations working in conflict zones or seeking to change development policy.
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1990-1997:Women in development project, World Bank
- improve income, welfare and perception of women
- 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, UN
- "determined to advance the goals of equality, development, and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity"
- 1993 Women for Women International
- works in conflict zones to provide women with business training, knowledge about reproductive health and family nutrition to become economically and socially empowered.
Phumzile Mambo Ngcuka
Dissemination of policy
