Intersectionality and Feminist International Relations

• In Event: Intersectionality and International Relations

Abstract

Emerging in the borderlands of the academy and social movements, intersectionality has become a burgeoning field of study, replete with internal and external debates regarding its genealogy, contributions and limitations, as well as its methodological applications. While many of the ideas and concepts associated with intersectionality are not new to the study of feminist international relations, explicit engagement with intersectionality named as such is still relatively limited. This essay explores the genealogies of intersectional ideas and approaches within feminist IR, with particular emphasis on the contributions made by postcolonial feminists, scholars and activists. It notes where such scholars have drawn on other intersectional histories and traditions as well as the unique contributions they have made to the growing field. Furthermore, it articulates the need for feminist IR to more fully engage with intersectional approaches in developing a more robust and complete analysis of gender and power within the discipline.

Author

• Celeste M. Montoya, University of Colorado, Boulder