The Individual in Feminist Approaches to International Law

• Published in: The Individual in International Law
• Main Author: Houghton, Ruth
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 07.03.2024
• Subjects: dialogues; individuals; plural subjectivities; feminisms; women
• ISBN: 0198898916; 9780198898917
• DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198898917.003.0012

Individuals, and in particular women, have always been at the core of feminist international legal scholarship. When examining what feminist approaches in international law tell us about the relationship between the individual, State, and international law, it becomes clear that for current feminist scholars the concern is how the individual is conceptualised, and specifically the gendered and racialised construction of women as subjects of international law. There is no singular feminist approach to the individual in international law, rather this chapter suggests four principles for a feminist approach to a human-centric international law. First, a responsiveness to the risks of essentialism. Second, and relatedly, resisting the proliferation of feminine ‘characters’ in international law. Third, building on work by Gina Heathcote, the chapter articulates a need for contextualised plural subjectivities. The fourth principle is about encouraging and facilitating reflexive dialogues across feminisms.