Transnational Feminist Perspectives

Gender is an integral way of signifying relations, and this is clearly seen within notions of nation and citizenship. The citizenship discourse has been constructed to exclude women and include certain men. While contemporary feminist movements have addressed these exclusions, there were many early struggles for the transnational women’s movement. Using readings from Grewal and Kaplan’s textbook, An Introduction to Women’s Studies: Gender in a Transnational World, Leila Rupp’s sixth chapter, class notes, and discussions, I analyze national identities and transnational feminist perspectives on the private/public dichotomy in relation to citizenship. National identities and gender develop and reinforce one another, as nations are constituted
Leila Rupp’s chapter, titled “How Wide the Circle of the Feminist ‘We,’” examines the shared concerns and varying perspectives of women during the early transnational movement, especially in terms of gender and citizenship. Women in transnational organizations argued for equal rights for men and women, while others countered that special laws for women would more effectively lead to equality. For instance, the International Alliance of Women, “with members on both sides of the question, referred to ‘the two groups of feminists,’ thus bestowing the label on opponents as well as supporters of special laws” (141). Furthermore, Rupp recognizes that class played a significant role, especially during the Great Depression, and that some argued against special legislation for women in managerial positions (144-145). The issue of citizenship and marriage was important to many transnational organizations because as a woman lost her citizenship through marriage, members of these organizations perceived this as sexual discrimination. However, there were disagreements among those with conservative views – who argued for equal nationality – and those with more left-wing perspectives – who supported independent nationality in relation to one’s husband (Rupp 147-148) Gender and transnational perspectives on citizenship and nationhood are integral in understanding notions of the public/private dichotomy and suffrage by transnational women’s movements, as discussed in Grewal and Kaplan’s textbook and Rupp’s chapter. There have been struggles for many involved in these movements, as citizenship was created to exclude women while elevating the voices and ideas of many men. Overall, gender is crucial in how nation and citizenship are perceived and understood from a transnational