The Boundaries of International Law

This is an analysis of the international legal order from the feminist perspective. It argues that the institutions, methodologies and substantive principles of international law are gendered in that they are based on the realities of male lives.

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Representing the first book-length treatment of the application of feminist theories of international law, Charlesworth and Chinkin argue that the absence of women in the development of international law has produced a narrow and inadequate jurisprudence that has legitimated the unequal position of women worldwide rather than confronted it.

The boundaries of international law provides a feminist perspective on the structure, processes and substance of international law. The authors examine its sources, treaty law, the concept of statehood and the right of self-determination, the role of international institutions and the law of human rights. Concluding with a consideration of whether the inclusion of women in the jurisdiction of international war crimes tribunals represents a significant shift in the boundaries of international law, The boundaries of international law is essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and students alike. -- .