SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Gender inequality has always been a structural problem at the United Nations. The voices of women as well as those of non-binary people and marginalised communities have always been present but often never truly heard. The elevation of some female perspectives has not remedied the fact that the voices of most women and disadvantaged groups remain secondary to the traditionally male-oriented narrative of politics and power that is the foundation of the UN system. This paper interrogates the progress of incorporating feminist and humanitarian concerns in UN processes through the lens of the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)—heralded as the first “gender-sensitive” international nuclear weapons agreement. The paper will draw from different points of criticisms within feminist international relations theory to argue that women’s representation in multilateral negotiation processes does not constitute positive progress towards their interests if gender-sensitive disarmament policies are not implemented.