Proper Women
Feminism and the Politics of Respectability in Iran
Author(s)
Chubin, Fae
Collection
Knowledge Unlatched (KU)Language
EnglishAbstract
Proper Women tells the unprecedented story of an NGO-led “women’s empowerment” program in Tehran that was created to serve young, impoverished Iranians and Afghan refugees. Fae Chubin recounts the well-intentioned efforts of cosmopolitan NGO administrators whose loyalty to liberal feminist principles of individualism, sexual autonomy, and anti-traditionalism complicated their objective of empowering marginalized women.Chubin brings attention to the varying class, ethnic, religious, and national identities of NGO staff and clients that shaped their differing understandings of oppression and justice. Her examination of the tensions within the organization reveals why the efforts of the NGO workers failed to gain purchase among the intended beneficiaries.Proper Women concludes by encouraging feminist activists to not only examine the role of local politics and transnational connections in shaping their definitions of empowerment, but also consider the advantages of a justice-enhancing practice as opposed to justice monism for their target populations.
Keywords
Social Science; Feminism & Feminist Theory; Social Science; Social Science; Women's StudiesISBN
9781439923276, 9781439923283, 9781439923290Publisher
Temple University PressPublication date and place
2024Grantor
Imprint
Temple University PressClassification
Feminism & feminist theory
Society & culture: general
Gender studies: women