Conceptualizing the Transnational Feminist Public Sphere.

The United Nations Conferences on Women (Mexico City 1975, Copenhagen 1980, Nairobi 1985, Beijing 1995), and more specifically the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) fora held in conjunction with these events, are frequently described as significant events in second wave international feminist organizing. The significance of the fora lies not in any particular decisions or agreements, there were no official decisions made in the name of the fora, but in the networking, organizing and activism that occurred as a result of these events. Of special interest is the networking that took place across the multiple borders that are seen as dividing women. Although these events are often described as significant, there is little scholarly work that tries to understand the fora together. One reason for this, perhaps, is that there were no documents debated or easily measurable outcomes. It also frequently remarked that there were as many forums as there were participants. Nonetheless, considering the ways in which those who participated in these events discussed and talked about their visions of a feminist movement can expand how feminists understand themselves as a movement that stretches across borders. The goals of this paper are twofold. The first is to show how feminist conceptions of the public sphere provide a useful framework for understanding the variety of discourses that circulated in these contexts. I emphasize how the notion of a counter-public, the idea that marginalized groups circulate counter-discourses which suggest different interpretations of their needs and identities, brings our attention to the fact that these events were composed of multiple and unequal groups. By emphasizing these counter-discourses, greater understanding of the discourses surrounding the fora emerges. My second goal is to show that not only are feminist conceptions of the public sphere useful for making better sense of the fora, but the discussions that take place at the fora also contribute to feminist thinking about transnational public spheres. Feminist theorists of the public sphere are only beginning to engage with conceptualizing a transnational feminist public sphere (McLaughlin 2004). The discourses surrounding the fora can contribute to these conceptualizations. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]