Feminism in International Relations

International Relations Feminism

• Feminism in international relations emerged during WWI, not late, with women's peace activism.
• International relations came late to feminism.
• Women peace activists at the 1915 Hague Conference provided unique contributions to the discipline.
• Their pragmatism reflects their experiences promoting peace and inclusion.
• The Women's Peace Party (WPP) and the International Congress of Women (ICW) emerged from the need to create lasting peace.
• Jane Addams played a key role in these groups.
• The Hague principles foreshadowed themes of gender equality, social justice, and peace.
• The ICW and WPP were similar in their goals to early international relations.
• Women activists included the need for gender equality, social justice and peace.
• They asserted that because women are responsible for children, they best understood the importance of preserving life and preventing military conflict.
• The Women's Peace Party (WPP) advocated for replacing balance of power with the concert of nations.
• Their platform included an international police force, removing economic causes of war, and controlling the manufacture and sale of arms.
• The Hague resolutions and activities closely resembled several UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions from 2000-2015.

Feminist Pragmatism

• Feminist pragmatism is a distinct form of pragmatism in international relations.
• It connects the principles of the Hague women's movement with the UN Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
• Jane Addams, a key figure in the pragmatist school of philosophy, was instrumental in forming the WPP and the ICW.
• The work of pragmatists like Addams is reflected in contemporary feminist knowledge-building.
• Post-positivism and international relations methodology are compatible with feminist perspectives.
• Their knowledge arises from lived experience and context-specific solutions to conflict.

Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda

• The WPS agenda emerged from women's activism and thirty years of scholarly discussion.
• This agenda emphasizes the interconnectedness of peace, security, and gender equality.
• It includes four pillars: prevention, participation, protection, and relief and recovery.
• It is rooted in the 1915 Hague principles, which called for democratic control of security and foreign policy, and the involvement of women in peace negotiations.
• The WPS agenda, like the 1915 Hague principles, aims to change the traditional war system.
• The UNSC resolution 1325, a cornerstone of the WPS agenda, articulates the importance of women's equal participation in peace negotiations, conflict resolution and prevention.
• It also addresses the impact of war on civilians, including women and children.
• It has encouraged the involvement of women in security sectors, including foreign policy.
• Women's involvement in peace processes directly impacts the success of peace agreements, increasing the probability of longer-lasting peace.