“Skeleton Women”: Feminism and the Antiglobalization Movement

Abstract

This article searches for the feminists, and the feminism, in the antiglobalization movement. It first examines texts purporting to represent this movement, discovering that feminism is barely present, granted a fleeting mention at best and deliberately sidelined at worst. The article then turns, second, to the broader social narratives underpinning these texts for an explanation of the evacuation of feminism. The third part of the article examines alternative, more marginal discourses by and about the movement, as found in websites associated with the World Social Forum - identifying the contours of a skeletal feminist presence. With this strategy, the article hopes to contribute to making feminism a more fully acknowledged, thriving presence within the antiglobalization movement more generally: to help put flesh on the bones of Skeleton Woman.