From margin to center: applying the theoretical framework of Postcolonial feminism to human rights

Abstract

In the last decades, postcolonial feminism has had enormous consequences for the reconceptualization of politics or rights. In light of this, the present paper explores the crossroads among postcolonial feminism, human rights and citizenship. The paper follows bell hook’s theoretical work. It does so by first, the paper reviews the emergence of postcolonial feminism and analyzes the key topics of debate generated by these approaches within Women Studies. Secondly, the paper examines some of the dilemmas and criticisms provoked by these approaches to the concept of human rights. The paper concludes by exploring the ways in which postcolonial feminist approaches might continue to make significant advancement in rethinking citizenship