Feminist Approach to International Relations

• 01 Jul 2023

For Prelims: World War 2, Cold War

For Mains: Feminist Approaches to International Relations.

Why in News?

After World War 2, the changing global order witnessed the rise of non-state actors, ethnic tensions, and the Cold War. This necessitated alternative approaches to International Relations (IR), including the Feminist Perspective that views the international arena through a gendered lens.

What is the Origin of Feminist Perspective of International Relations?

• Positivists and Post-Positivists:
  • The feminist perspective in IR emerged from the "Third Debate" between positivists and post-positivist scholars in the 1980s.
    • Positivists believed that IR is a value-neutral field with definitions and structures such as anarchy and nation state are fixed.
    • Post-positivists challenged this view and called for critical analysis, pluralism, and diversity in IR (which till then was dominated by realist and liberal perspectives).

Note:

• Realists believe the international arena is in a state of anarchy (there is no overarching sovereign power to govern nation states and tell them what to do).
  • Therefore, states are constantly involved in ‘power politics’, trying to safeguard their own interests and security.
• Liberal scholars on the other hand prioritize cooperation. While they agree on the premise of the global order being anarchic, they contend that instead of power, nation states actively seek alliances in order to safeguard their interests.

• Feminists:
  • Feminist challenged the masculine assumption of human nature inherent in these perspectives, arguing that it neglected social reproduction and development as integral aspects of human nature.
  • They view the global order as a socially constructed hierarchy that perpetuated gender subordination.
  • Feminist criticize the marginalization of women's experiences in war, conflict, and diplomacy. They argued that women's voices, knowledge, perspectives, and experiences were often overlooked or subsumed under a male-centric "universal" experience.

How has Women’s Participation in Discussing War and Conflicts been?

• In international conflict, women are often portrayed as vulnerable and in need of protection, but this perspective has marginalized them from participating in discussions and processes of war.
• There is a masculinisation of the sphere of war and conflict, where women are made completely invisible in spite of their active role during war and conflicts such as taking care of wounded persons and becoming prostitutes to support their war torn families.
• Even within the discourse of protection, the exclusive targeting of women through rape and sexual violence is seen as an effect of war and not as a key military strategy used by nations for ethnic cleansing and genocide.

How do Different Feminist theories contribute to the Understanding of Existing Challenges in IR?

• Liberal Feminist:
  • While liberal feminist theory does not fundamentally challenge the traditional ideas of IR, it questions the content. Liberal feminists look on the role of the gender gap in global politics and the disproportionate effect of war on women in the form of sexual violence and trafficking.
  • They call for more female participation in high-level politics and contend that the presence of more women leaders would facilitate peaceful and humanitarian policies.
• Constructivist Feminist:
  • Constructivist feminist theory looks at how gendered identities play a role in global politics. It looks at gender as the core component which influences structures and personal relationships.
    • It places emphasis on the idea of gender and how it upholds unequal global material conditions.
  • While liberal feminism focuses on achieving formal equality and individual rights for women within existing structures, constructivist feminism examines how gender is socially constructed and seeks to transform societal norms and power relations for true equality.
• Feminist Post Structuralist:
  • A feminist post structuralist approach talks about binary linguistic oppositions in IR like order/anarchy, developed/underdeveloped, national/international etc, which perpetuate and seek to empower the masculine over the feminine.
  • They are highly critical of the assertion that more women in high-level diplomatic positions would lead to pacifist policies as it seeks to further essentialise and reinforce certain characteristics as feminine.
• Postcolonial Feminist:
  • It seeks to challenge the assumption of universality of women’s experience across regions and cultures.
  • It is especially critical of liberal feminists’ approach of looking at women in the Global South as powerless, lacking agency and helpless or as one homogenous category.

How is the Feminist Approach to IR Relevant in Present Times?

• Gender Inequality:
  • The feminist approach highlights the need to address gender disparities and challenges traditional power structures that perpetuate inequality.
  • It sheds light on how gender shapes global politics, including issues related to security, development, and human rights.
• Peace and Security:
  • Feminist scholars and activists have challenged traditional notions of security and broadened the concept to include human security, which encompasses the well-being and rights of individuals and communities.
  • They have highlighted the disproportionate impact of conflicts on women, advocated for women's inclusion in peace processes, and emphasized the importance of addressing gender-based violence as a security issue.
• Global Governance:
  • The feminist approach to IR challenges the male-centric nature of global governance and institutions.
  • It calls for greater gender equality in decision-making bodies and promotes the inclusion of women's perspectives and voices in shaping global policies and agendas.
  • It also pushes for the recognition of care work and the redistribution of resources and power in more equitable ways.
• Transnational Feminism:
  • The feminist approach to IR recognizes the importance of transnational feminist networks and movements. It acknowledges the interconnectedness of women's struggles globally and the need for collective action to address common challenges.
  • It highlights the significance of cross-border solidarity and cooperation in promoting gender equality and social justice.

Conclusion

• While feminist IR theories have gained traction, they still remain marginal within the discipline. With environmental policies and non-state actors playing an even bigger role in the global arena, feminist theories have much potential in analysing and offering real world solutions.

Source: TH