Transnational Feminism and Contextualized Intersectionality at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism

Abstract

This article examines the organizing efforts of North American feminists from Canada, the United States, and Mexico during the preparatory period prior to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa. Preparing for the world conference fostered a process where new transnational coalitions and new articulations of racism flourished; these often overlooked outcomes remain fundamental to understanding transnational feminist interventions at the UN world conference. A tremendous amount of strategizing and preparation preceded the successes that feminist activists achieved at the Durban conference. Based on qualitative methodology, which includes in-depth interviews and participant observation, my research shows that engaging with a contextualized form of intersectionality enables more complex dialogues about racism. Moreover, by highlighting women's activism in three distinct social locations, this article also encapsulates how national contexts shape feminist activists' goals and experiences in transnational spaces.