Ideas, experts, and the global economy: feminist contributions to the study of governance in international organizations

Feminist scholarship and activism have had a tremendous influence on governance within international organizations (IOs) over the past three decades. This chapter reviews the contributions of feminist scholars to understanding how organizations have, or have not, brought gender into their practices, with specific attention to contemporary global food, land, and agricultural governance. First, the chapter assesses whether gender mainstreaming in IOs has been effective and the differences between technocratic and gender-responsive or gender-transformative policy development. Second, the chapter highlights the role of gender expertise and the experiences of gender experts in IOs and policy development. Finally, the chapter situates IOs within the context of the growing influence of non-state actors in global governance, and the implications for gendered power relations. This chapter illustrates the importance of feminist scholarship to investigate the meaning of gender-focused ideas, understand the bureaucratic politics that shape real-world outcomes, and appreciate the micropolitics experienced by gender experts themselves within international governance.