Athena Equality’s Post

[ 🗒 Research Article] "Norm Diffusion as a Practice of Abjection. The UN Women Agenda and the Abjection of Harmful Traditional Practices" This paper brings the Kristevan perspective on hierarchy into a conversation with norm research and accordingly borrows the concept of the abject, formulated to study the formation of the Self and Other and the following hierarchy between the two, to better understand the hierarchical implications of norm diffusion. The research, therefore, redefines norm diffusion as a practice of norm abjection due to the diffusion’s hegemonic, subordinating, and transformative character, and doing so has enabled us to illustrate the implications for the norm research of the dual-performative function of the normative hierarchy: (i) formation of the boundary between the Self and the Other and (ii) maintaining it through active exclusion and normative expansion. The paper empirically studies the functioning of norm abjection in the example of the United Nations’ (UN) harmful traditional practices (htp) agenda, a fiercely condemnatory and decisively transformative normative project of the UN informed by its liberative development discourses and emancipatory gender regime. The paper, accordingly, examines the UN’s abjecting of the harmful traditional practices as part of its efforts for diffusing progressive and emancipatory gender norms to the localities in the underdeveloped world to cast out the local vicious, wicked, primitive, and not-so-normative practices and rather implant the true, moral, superior, and universal norms. Our findings contribute to the unveiling of the dual-performative hierarchy the norm diffusion generates and of the colonial subject position the UN maintains. Read this article by @Hüsrev Tabak and @Muharrem Doğan in the latest issue of European Review of International Studies (11-1/2024): https://lnkd.in/d4wrHHr9 #NormDiffusion #Kristeva #NormAbjection #Hierarchy #HarmfulTraditionalPractices #UNWomenAgenda #IndigenousNorms Recep Tayyip Erdogan University

In today’s #WIJAWednesday thread, we reflect on Asia Justice Coalition secretariat’s recent submission to the UN #CEDAW Committee on General Recommendation 40 on the representation of women in #decisionmaking systems. Read our submission here: https://bit.ly/AJCGR40 We welcome the committee’s comprehensive draft and appreciated the opportunity to provide input. Read GR 40 here: https://lnkd.in/etZQfUFh In our submission, we highlight that there is a need for legal ecosystems to be better reflected within GR 40. Given the pervasive #gendergaps that continue to exist in international and domestic legal systems, such a reflection in GR 40 would send an important message on closing the gap not just in public and political systems, but also within legal systems. Our Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability (#WIJA) project reflects the wider aims of GR 40. We work to empower #women leaders in #Asia and develop their leadership in international law. Check about #WIJA project here: https://lnkd.in/gS_bBzim

Did you know that international law has historically marginalized women's voices and violated their rights? Christine Chinkin's pioneering research at LSE applies a feminist critique to international law, tackling deeply-rooted gender inequalities and aiming to reshape how we understand women's rights. Her work has been crucial in developing the Istanbul Convention, the world's first binding legal framework combating violence against women. This important treaty encourages state accountability in preventing and punishing acts of violence, ensuring that women's rights are recognized as fundamental human rights. The implications of such legal advancements are monumental, presenting a path towards a more just and equitable society. What are your thoughts on the role of international law in addressing gender-based violence? Let's foster a conversation on the vital need for inclusive frameworks that secure safety and justice for all. https://lnkd.in/eGvakXmH

My joint paper “A Transformative Feminist Foreign Policy for Aotearoa New Zealand”was published in 2023-2024 issue of the journal Women Talking Politics. The paper was written along with my application for a postdoctoral fellowship and was the outcome of my reading and reflection on feminism and feminist values in International Relations. Unfortunately, the Rutherford foundation fellowship was too competitive and I was not lucky enough to get it, however, I am glad that at least this paper was published. https://lnkd.in/gkvZXaMe #feminism #feministinternationalrelations #feministforeignpolicy

I have a short working paper on gender in political economy and EU law. I suggest some future research directions in EU law based on materialist feminists’ ideas, and focus on the political economy of EU anti-discrimination law, showing how it enables market deregulation, keeps entrenching material inequalities in connection to gendered working patterns, and contributes to structuring racial capitalism in the EU. This is part of an exciting collection of short essays on critical approaches to EU law, which I edited and which is forthcoming in the Transantional Legal Theory Journal, with Janine Silga, Iris Goldner Lang, Diamond Ashiagbor, Fernanda Nicola, Sanja Bogojević, Andy Woodhouse, Giacomo Tagiuri, Annette Schrauwen & Floris de Witte https://lnkd.in/e6wmURmY

🌍⚖️How can we take better account of those most affected by conflict in global justice? Tomorrow, several partners will meet and co-host the panel discussion "(Re-)Centering Humanity: Intersectional Strategies Strengthening Multilateralism and International Law" in the framework of International Law Week. 📅 Date: 24 October 2024. 📍 Location: Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor, New York, or online. 🕒 Time: 13:15 - 14:45 (EDT). This event will explore how intersectional approaches can enhance international law by focusing on the experiences and agency of those most impacted by conflict, with interventions from: 🔸 Prof. Patricia Sellers, Special Adviser on Slavery Crimes, International Criminal Court 🔸 Prof. Matiangai Sirleaf, University of Maryland 🔸 Melissa Hendrickse, Amnesty International 🔸 Priya Pillai, PhD, Asia Justice Coalition 🔸 Kate Vigneswaran, International Commission of Jurists 🔸 Valeria Babără, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice 🔸 Esther Dingemans, Global Survivors Fund As the multilateral system faces significant challenges, this discussion—co-hosted by Amnesty International, Asia Justice Coalition, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, and Global Survivors Fund —will offer critical insights into how inclusive strategies can strengthen global #justice mechanisms. 🔗 Register before the end of today: https://lnkd.in/dSrzikDh #InternationalLaw #GenderJustice #Intersectionality #HumanRights #Multilateralism #ICL #InternationalLawWeek #MakingJusticeWork

How do we center those most affected by conflict in global justice? On 24 October 2024, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice will co-host the panel discussion "(Re-)Centering Humanity: Intersectional Strategies Strengthening Multilateralism and International Law" in the framework of International Law Week. 📅 Date: 24 October 2024. 📍 Location: Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor, New York, or online. 🕒 Time: 13:15 - 14:45 (EDT). This event will explore how intersectional approaches can enhance international law by focusing on the experiences and agency of those most impacted by conflict, with interventions from: 🔸 Prof. Patricia Sellers, Special Adviser on Slavery Crimes, International Criminal Court 🔸 Prof. Matiangai Sirleaf, University of Maryland 🔸 Melissa Hendrickse, Amnesty International 🔸 Priya Pillai, PhD, Asia Justice Coalition 🔸 Kate Vigneswaran, International Commission of Jurists 🔸 Valeria Babără, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice 🔸 Esther Dingemans, Global Survivors Fund As the multilateral system faces significant challenges, this discussion—co-hosted by Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, the Asia Justice Coalition, Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, and the Global Survivors Fund —will offer critical insights into how inclusive strategies can strengthen global justice mechanisms. 🔗 Register before the end of today: https://lnkd.in/dSrzikDh #InternationalLaw #GenderJustice #Intersectionality #HumanRights #Multilateralism #ICL #InternationalLawWeek #MakingJusticeWork

I am delighted to share that my paper, "Beyond The Borders Of The West: Redefining Feminism From A South Asian Perspective," has been published in the Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research. This work is very close to my heart, as it addresses the often-overlooked gender-based discrimination in South Asia. In the paper, I discuss how modern feminist movements frequently miss the unique challenges faced by women in this region. By exploring the tension between cultural relativism and universalism, I emphasise the critical importance of intersectionality. It is my hope that this contribution sparks meaningful dialogue and leads to a more comprehensive and representative movement. https://lnkd.in/exu5C2PP

An effective Feminist Foreign Policy blueprint for Africa must incorporate African feminist theories and epistemologies embodied in the principles of the African Feminist Charter. Through a rights-based approach centred on the foundations of ubuntu as per the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Maputo Protocol, this fundamental basis can guarantee that Feminist Foreign Policy incorporates African ideals that fiercely challenge existing global power inequalities. The existing neoliberal economic model fundamentally opposes the objectives of transformative policy reforms guided by African feminists...

Very pleased to share that we have been awarded the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in European Global Policies (EUGLOB). European Commission, Jean Monnet Call 2024. Please find here a brief description of the project: In today's increasingly disruptive times and unpredictable world, it is crucial for EU leadership to anticipate global policy challenges and shape their regulation in accordance with EU core values of liberal democracy, solidarity, equality and sustainability. The EUGLOB Centre of Excellence aims to be a central hub of knowledge on the EU’s unique role as an agenda-setter and policy-shaper of transnational problems regulation. Our work focuses on new and crucial areas of policy formulation where the EU is expected to play a decisive role both within and beyond its borders (artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, global health or gender equality). Our approach is comprehensive, interdisciplinary and rooted in our previous experience as a member of the Jean Monnet epistemic community. Our aim is to develop teaching and research on the EU, while at the same time transferring knowledge to students, political elites, media and civil society about the EU's central role as a provider of public policies with global impact. We combine the perspectives of political science, international relations, law and economics in all three dimensions of our activities. This project builds on the intense work developed by the Jean Monnet Chair in European Policies (EUPOL) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) since 2018 (Jean Monnet Chairs 2018-2021 and 2022-2025) and aims at its structural consolidation.