International Conflict Feminism

Vasuki Nesiah is Professor of Practice, Human Rights and International Law at the Gallatin School, NYU.

"A brilliant tour de force! Lucidly argued, scrupulously researched, richly detailed, and politically urgent, even visionary, Vasuki Nesiah has produced the definitive analysis of the historic place of international feminism(s) in modern global governance and security. The scales fall from your eyes as she reveals the depoliticizing work of 'the conflict zone,' tracks the afterlives of colonialism in the courts of international law, and lays bare the (failed) promises of voice in truth commissions and empowerment in neoliberal economies. Sharp critique is balanced by the offer of alternative possibilities, ones that take seriously the work of empire and the vitality of the Global South." (Lila Abu-Lughod, author of Do Muslim Women Need Saving?) "Vasuki Nesiah deftly interweaves discourses on international human rights and humanitarian law and practice with key feminist and postcolonial insights to produce an original and illuminating take on the rise of what she terms International Conflict Feminism. Against the backdrop of post-Cold War liberal internationalism, she elucidates how processes of transitional justice, international criminal prosecution, and post-conflict management adopted specific feminist vocabularies, while eschewing others. From Rwanda to Kosovo to Sri Lanka and beyond, Nesiah mounts a meticulous critique of the choices made by these institutional projects while also discussing paths not taken. This book should be read by anyone seeking to understand the full remit of global governance and international women's rights - and their interrelationship - in the contemporary era." (Chantal Thomas, author of Disorderly Borders: How International Law Shapes Irregular Migration) "This book is provocative and insightful. It exposes International Conflict Feminism (ICF) as simultaneously powerful, efficient, and coopted. It takes on mainstream feminist international law theory and practice regarding conflict regulation. It fulsomely demonstrates the costs to women of over two decades of ascendent WPS and international criminal law. It won't be comfortable reading for many. It is all the more essential because of that." (Fionnuala Ni Aolain KC (Hons), author of On the Frontlines: Gender, War and Post-Conflict Process)