Description
This paper explores the critical intersection of motherhood and International Relations, arguing that understanding the political role of motherhood is essential for challenging traditional frameworks and integrating gender as a fundamental element in state identity, power dynamics, and international security. It critiques conventional IR theories that often overlook gender and identity, presenting motherhood as a significant site for understanding state behaviour and legitimacy. I delve into historical and contemporary reproductive actions, such as abortion and infanticide, that women have employed as acts of defiance against colonial and state control. Then, using Argentina and Brazil as case studies, this paper moves on to illustrate how states utilise maternal narratives for national identity while women leverage these roles to resist patriarchal structures. In Brazil, the role of Mãe Preta and mothering in criminal-controlled neighbourhoods is explored as a way of understanding Brazil’s national identity and attitudes towards security. Meanwhile, in Argentina the Madres y Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo exemplify how maternal roles can be transformed into powerful political tools, reshaping national identity and advocating for human rights.
