On Feminist International Relations Theory
Feminism and International Relations
By Maggie Hannick
Feminism is a hot topic in our society, and I, myself, am a proud feminist – someone who stands up and speaks out for equality of all genders. Many feminists are activists, politicians, teachers, and scholars. Feminist theory adds to the intellectual and political conversion, and theories involving feminism are important to international relations. Feminist ideas can encourage awareness and adequate decision making because many countries, cultures, and governments view women differently, or have different definitions of feminism. International relations theorists need to use feminist theories to make policy. The school of feminist international relations involves not only women’s role in politics but also the role of masculinity. This theory includes the participation of men and women in international relations in fields such as diplomacy, economics, war, and security, and how gender plays a part in these. Feminist international relations theorist Carol Cohn’s article entitled “Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals“- written in 1988 – focused on the subject of masculinity, especially in defense, and how it impacts international relations and human rights.
In the 1980s, feminist international relations started to make its impact when the Cold War was ending, and the role of gender continued to change. The theory included ideas on postcolonialism, poststructuralism, and postmodernism. Communities centered on international policies wanted to dedicate time and thought on the potential for the participation of females in the field of international relations. Many of the existing international relations theories didn’t’ study female decision making. Women were being left out of the conversation and ultimately global affairs. For example, many forget that women are vital to the military beyond fighting; they serve as nurses, cooks, and porters, just to name a few. Men are seen fighting in wars, whereas women are accounted for being in grief and against the war and nuclear weapons, which is concerning for the soldiers and money makers of war. Women are told to take care of the family and can help in the education and health sectors, when men can lead the economy, military, security, and international relations. Because women are forgotten, discussions regarding military relations exclude them, yet women have been active members of the military ever since the mid-nineteenth century. Females are often subjected to sexual violence in their military experience. Writers have acknowledged that historically and politically men have been socialized to a certain view. In Greek culture, there is the warrior model; the idea of the patriarch is center to some religions; and men have been seen as the leader of governments. Many feminist scholars urged that governing bodies start incorporating women leaders in the negotiations of laws, treaties, ceasefires, peace agreements, and constitutions. Women have made efforts to improve relations and foster peace, yet the military is too powerful to validate them and their potentially saving and necessary actions. There needs to be fair representation and equitable policy-making.
In addition, feminist research explores quantitative foreign policy and comparative case studies. Quantitative foreign policy can provide the data and information about gender inequality in international relations. Comparative case studies analyze policies affecting women the most. Theories regarding gender looks at the relationship between men and women and policies and nations. Part of this is differentiating sex, birth, gender, and social construct. There are several obvious disparities between men and women, and feminist theorists and scholars provide many examples and evidence of this, such as equally educated men and women are paid differently. This impacts employment and the gender gap and more broadly politics and government. Another inequality is the portrayal of women in the media or lack thereof, characterizing women as bossy or unable to win political positions as well as focusing on their outward appearance – this impacts their potential, future, and voting. These disparities lead to women left out of politics and not being decisive in “women’s issues.” However, feminist organizations are working toward reversing stereotypes and assumptions for better understanding of the need for women in international relations. Also, they are fighting gender-based violence because up to seven out of ten women will experience violence in their lives and around 600 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not even a criminal act. The lack of awareness and preventable actions for this violence are problematic and dangerous, and this violence happens to anyone and everywhere, in the military, at workplaces, on the streets, or anywhere else. Women are also victims to food, housing, and education inequalities.
Also, women are severely underrepresented in politics, nationally and internationally. Women are over half of the population in the United States but not even close enough to represent women in Congress. In the world, women made up only a little over 20 percent of national parliaments. Many countries even had to put quotas in their government bodies to represent women fairly. Men have historically been in charge of governments, such as 45 male United States presidents. Women are overlooked for their participation and contributions and then unable to have power in these institutions. The idea of masculinity centers around power, independence, and rational thinking, while femininity has been defined by society as domesticity, fragile, and irrationality. Thus, international relations fail to be equal for women because the ideas of gender are inaccurate yet ingrained in society. In reality, feminist theory would improve international relations. Peacekeeping is hard, but women are leading its path.
In October of 2000, the UN Security Council dedicated an entire session to women, peace, and security – leading them to adopt Resolution 1325, which called for a more accurate gender perspective in peace agreements and decision-making while also ensuring females are protected in war. Resolution 1325 urged organizations to prioritize the needs of girls and women, peace initiatives, and equal and human rights in government systems. In addition, the United Nations completed a study in 2015 finding that the role of gender in peacekeeping is under-resourced, mitigating marginalization, and women can still experience violence in peace processes. Studies and international efforts will help to gain awareness, information, and tools to help women be listen to, represented, protected, and finally equal. They are long overdue a seat at the international relations table; they should have been there at its inception.
Maggie Hannick is an Arms Control Fellow at Peace Economy Project.
