Womanhood & International Relations

How state-centric and masculine-dominated is the #womenpeacesecurity agenda? Why the “add women and stir” formula is a success and why are we failing to see #gender mainstreaming cannot work in structures that thrive on unequal power relations? Listen to related episodes: 11. Why Feminist Theory Matters in International Relations 23. Hegemonic Masculinity and Femininity in World Politics 38. Andro...

With the rapid conflict escalation between Russia and Ukraine, what's the status of women? How are feminist grassroots organizations addressing the heavy militarisation, fear and social insecurity? How multiple generations have dealt with individual & collective trauma in Soviet, post-Soviet and COVID-19 times? An interview with Sasha Kantser, board member and content manager of the Feminist W...

What's the link between periods, neoliberal economic policies and lack of water access? Why marketing campaigns are shifting from "freeing women" of "oppressing" cultural understandings of period blood to "organic" and "sustainable" menstrual waste management? In a span of a century, when did we shift from "inclusion into the workforce" to "human development" to "greener futures"? How wide is the...

How and where belief systems sustain themselves? Which personal/domestic/international structures are we seeking to "transform" with feminism? Why do we feel the "need" to change "one" or multiple external manifestation(s) of patriarchal values, behaviors and systems? Do we have the capacity to sustain the "new change" we seek to create? In this follow up episode to 76. War Journalism's Effect On...

How We Measure the Legitimacy & Resilience of States? How the global pandemic COVID-19 changed perceptions of fragility, peacebuilding and power? What is the fragility trap and how connected or disconnected is it to the gender perspective?  A brief revision of the latest report by the Fund for Peace.  💜Join us in this exploration, subscribe to our newsletter here and support our com...

With the latest conflict escalations between Israel and Palestine; Colombia; Tigray region, how are we consuming and reacting to the international news cycle? What is war journalism and how it affects our emotional and ideological connection to some conflicts/people/religions and not so much others?  In this new exploration we engage in a full conversation on the Post-Truth Era: Why is there...

🇬🇧 🇺🇸 💄 Are beauty pageants actually “helping” women empowerment? What our feminist criticism against Miss World and Miss Universe competitions tell us about our own understanding of body’s objectivization and autonomy? Is feminism led by white women fighting “for all” or to “speak for all”? Whose stories get told on the big screen and how they build a consistent white feminist narrative? Where a...

How can the Hofstede dimensions help us understand domestic and foreign policies and behaviors? How does small/large power distances may affect our relationships with hierarchy, individualism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance?  A revision of this social psychology theory applied to IR - case studies comparison. Listen to related episodes:  Androcentric vs. Gynocentric View of the Wo...

What's the connection between the military industry and climate change? How can feminist movements help change hegemonic power dynamics from domestic to foreign policy and systemic levels? How can grassroots movements from Global North & South better engage in intersectional solidarity? And what can we learn from female climate defenders in Kenya, Colombia and Sudan advancing climate justice?...

How can we avoid the voyeuristic approach to #women’s research, rights and world news? How can we follow the trends of #feminism transcontinentally if we don’t care or pay the same attention to the realities of those living in our own countries? How many grids can we take part in and for how long? Are we dehumanizing ourselves in the researching process without questioning ‘who is it for?’ and whe...

How hunger is used as a weapon of war and which answers do psychic numbing bring to international/local actors role in Yemen? My personal review on the Oscar-nominated documentary: Hunger Ward.  Join us in this exploration, follow the conversations on Instagram @womanhood_ir and support our podcast community growth on Patreon here. Upcoming Events  RSVP April 28th - Free Webinar Women Le...

How former colonizer/colonized countries are dealing with colonial trauma? Are past colonizer countries still pursuing imperialistic and oppressive practices to their minorities communities originating from past colonies? A follow up episode on colonial mindset dynamics in the podcast series "The Burden of the Colonial Mindset",   #PuertoRico , case study. Join us in this exploration, subscri...

What do we were culturally and socially pre-conditioned to Value and Expect, as women, in the international arena? Who gets to speak about women to reframe, reaffirm, reimagine and advocate for their experiences? Are we so deep into the rabbit’s hole that the fear of naming the problem is bigger than the desire of solving it? Is the respect we were educated to have for institutions so deeply engra...

What is the interconnection between photography, feminism and activism? How visual arts can help women own their life experiences, bodies expressions and political views? Does photography have a #colonial history? Can the female gaze help overcome photographic #patriarchal origins? How Nos por todas photographic project brought another perspectives to women’s stories of abortion in Brazil? An inte...

How the wounded masculine is ravaging the planet and how public/private/ngo's sectors are little interested to change their ways? My personal review on the latest documentary in Netflix: Seaspiracy.

How colonialism has negatively impacted women's bodies in Puerto Rico? Which phases of medical interventions on sexual and reproductive rights showcased a case of eugenics?  An interview with Tania Rosario Mendez, executive director, and Alexandra-Marie Figueroa Miranda, communications director, of Taller Salud. Recommended links of this episode: Taller Salud www.tallersalud.com El Mensaje Im...

On our first Women + Water fest we screened the ethnographic documentary film "Red on White" by Luisa Passalacqua. We held a live Q&A with the film director on anthropology of menstruation, a conversation led by Monica Martins, founder of Women Being Magazine, for our podcast.

On World Water Day 2021, we talk about the latest toolkit on how to include gender and energy justice perspectives on WASH projects.  An interview with Verena Demmelbauer, Water & Sanitation Coordinator at @wecf_international @wecf.germany . Recommended links to the episode: Women Engage for a Common Future Safe Water & Sanitation  Reducing inequalities in access to clean and saf...

On World Water Day 2021, we talk about gender justice in the water sector, what is the work of women at different levels of influence and what are the challenges ahead to promote access, distribution and management of this natural resource in Georgia, North Macedonia and Armenia.  An interview with Natasha Dokovska, Programme Director at Journalists for Human Rights; Anna Samwel is the direct...

We often read in the news water-related problems in India from contamination, monsoons to scarcity, how is fast and aspirational urban development affecting water security in this country?  An interview with Ambika Vishwanath & Priyanka Bhide, co-founders and directors of the Kubernein Initiative, a geopolitical strategic think tank, who joined us last March 20th for our podcast's fi...

Between 2016/2020 elections, how much changed in Puerto Rico's political landscape? How the Trump Administration's response to Hurricane Maria, US-Puerto Rico colonial relationship and the protests against then-Governor Ricardo Rossello encouraged or discouraged women's political participation? What are the trends of violence against female candidates and what can be done to surpass strong politic...

From showering with garden hoses to experiencing Hurricanes' floods and water scarcity daily in my native Puerto Rico, here I share how meaningful is this natural resource for me and other amazing women who will speak with us this Saturday. If feel like watching on video here is the Instagram Live in English and the Facebook Video in Spanish language. The Women + Water Fest is not your typical eve...

Can we include gender perspectives in all areas of operations and outreach of think tanks in the International Relations field? How would it change research, lobby and workplace cultures? Is it possible for people in entry level/associate positions to advocate for intersectional approaches even if top management/executive leaders are resistant to change? An interview with Marion Messmer, Co-Direct...

Can we close the gender gap in the water sector? Let’s unite to make it happen. On March 20th, the Womanhood & International Relations podcast will host its first virtual festival on Women + Water. As World Water Day 2021 nears, join us for a full-day of interviews, connections and conferences on gender & water security; menstrual poverty eradication and WASH projects in India, Europe and...

After the military coup last February in Burma/Myanmar, was there ever a "real" or "full" democracy to uphold? What is the status of the nation, women and ethnic groups in this country? How social tensions have escalated to ethnic conflicts and cleansing of the Rohingya and other communities? An interview with Wai Wai Nu, former Burmese political prisoner and founder of the Women's Peace Network....