Gender experts and expertise in turbulent political times: Feminist dis/connections

Abstract

The rise of a professionalised cadre of gender experts, and the development of gender expertise as a mode of gender governance, has been the subject of scrutiny and debate in feminist research and practice in recent years. Scholars have examined the potential for experts to make feminist inroads in international and governmental organisations, as well as revealed the challenges and resistance faced by gender experts. They have also paid critical attention to how gender concepts evolve as they travel into institutions, and debated the feminist credentials of such work. This field of activity now faces heightened challenges with cuts to overseas aid and other government budgets which fund this work. Funding issues come at the same time as, and are affected by, the intensification of global anti-gender politics, involving attacks on progressive gender initiatives and policies, gender studies as a field, and individuals seen to be their embodied representatives. These developments present the field with urgent questions: How is gender work done in this political moment? What is the impact of global political shifts on this work? What kinds of strategies do gender experts deploy? What kinds of feminist politics are possible or desirable under these conditions? The papers in this panel examine the conduct of gender expertise, including by examining professional opportunities, networks, and strategies, in global governance, particularly the realm of peacekeeping, peace building, and peace and security.

Title	Details
Violence against women reform in post-authoritarian Indonesia: Between women's rights and Islamic morality	View Paper Details
Organizational change in IOs in times of crisis: Women, Peace and Security and UN reform	View Paper Details
Gender, peace and security: A field of practice	View Paper Details
The expertisation of gender work in peacebuilding	View Paper Details
Professional Networks of Gender Experts in International Peace Missions: Achieving Feminist Goals	View Paper Details