Magdalena Zettl

How does feminist theorising enrich our understanding of IR theory? Magdalena Zettl

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Other States, grade: 1.8, , language: English, abstract: Realism and liberalism have long been the dominant theories within IR. However, these failed to give a full-fledge explanation about the peaceful end of the Cold War, thereby giving way to more alternative IR views, such as Feminism. The increased use of violence against women as a weapon of war1, sexual trafficking, military prostitution2 as well as women's increasingly important role as peace activists and wives of statesmen (Baylis & Smith, 1997: 174) prove that women do influence politics. This lets Feminist scholars, such as C. Enloe, pose the legitimate question "Where were the women in world politics" (1990, p. 133). The establishment of the International Feminist Journal of Politics in 1999 (Taylor & Francis Online, 2012) and the UN Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security" in 2000 (Women for Peace, 2012) seem to prove that Feminism has finally been granted a place in IR. Nevertheless, the relatively low number and the rather aggressive, male-like behaviour of female political actors3 let us question this presumption. After outlining the main strands and concepts of Feminist Theory, the essay highlights feminist critique on traditional IR theory4. I, then, explain how Feminism allows for a re-evaluation and expansion of basic IR concepts, thereby enriching IR theory.