Feminist Democratic Representation

Karen Celis and Sarah Childs' book "Feminist Democratic Representation" challenges the notion that women's group representation is inherently flawed due to differences among women. They propose a new feminist account of democratic representation that takes women's differences as a starting point, re-thinking and re-designing representative institutions to ensure inclusive, responsive, and egalitarian representation for all women. The book discusses contemporary problematics such as abortion, prostitution/sex work, Muslim women's dress, and Marine Le Pen to highlight women's under- and misrepresentation. Celis and Childs present a second-generation feminist design for parliaments and legislatures, emphasizing the importance of affected representatives of women who are epistemologically and experientially close to differently affected women. They argue that feminist processes of representation have wide effects and deepen relationships between women and their democratic institutions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 16 October 2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Popular consensus has long held that the presence of sufficient women in political institutions is crucial in representing women's interests. However, a significant number of individuals argue that differences among women, stemming from disagreements over what constitutes their interests, pose a fatal threat to both the principle and practice of women's group representation. In response to this issue, Karen Celis and Sarah Childs present a groundbreaking feminist account of democratic representation in their book, Feminist Democratic Representation. Rather than abandoning the pursuit of women's group representation, Celis and Childs reimagine and redesign representative institutions, placing women's diverse differences, including ideological and intersectional ones, at the forefront.

Feminist Democratic Representation delves into a wide range of contemporary problematics, such as abortion, prostitution/sex work, Muslim women's dress, and Marine Le Pen, to explore women's under- and misrepresentation and the complexities of representative politics. As problem-driven scholars rooted in feminist and democratic empirical and theoretical political science, Celis and Childs envision what ideal representation for women in all their diversity could entail. They present a second-generation feminist design for parliaments and legislatures, built upon a re-examination of feminist and democratic principles.

Celis and Childs conceive of representation as a multifaceted concept, shifting the focus in women's group representation from feminist outcomes to feminist processes. Inclusive, responsive, and egalitarian representation for all women necessitates the creation of a new category of representatives in parliaments: the affected representatives of women who are epistemologically and experientially close to the experiences and concerns of women.

By advocating for the inclusion of affected representatives of women, Celis and Childs aim to enhance the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of representative institutions. They argue that such a move would enable women to have a greater say in shaping policies that directly impact their lives and promote greater gender equality.

Feminist Democratic Representation is a thought-provoking and pioneering work that challenges traditional notions of democratic representation and offers a fresh perspective on achieving women's empowerment through political participation. It is a must-read for scholars, activists, and policymakers interested in advancing the cause
women's rights and gender equality.

Weight: 410g
Dimension: 168 x 216 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190087722