Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Under Western Eyes: A Critique of Western Feminism and Towards

Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses is one of the most influential works in feminist and postcolonial theory. In this seminal text, Mohanty critiques the Western feminist tendency to homogenize and generalize the experiences of women in the Global South, particularly in postcolonial and Third World countries. By interrogating the assumptions underlying Western feminist discourses, Mohanty offers a pathway toward a more inclusive, contextualized, and pluralistic understanding of women’s issues, advocating for a feminism that is global but not imperialistic.

Chandra Talpade Mohanty: A Brief Background

Mohanty, an Indian-born academic and feminist scholar, emerged as a pivotal voice in the 1980s, shaping the discourse of postcolonial feminism. Her experiences navigating the intersections of Indian and Western cultures informed her critical perspective on how Western feminism often imposes its frameworks on non-Western societies. Her work continues to resonate across feminist studies, particularly in debates around power, representation, and solidarity.

Core Ideas in Under Western Eyes

1. Critique of Homogenization in Western Feminism
2. Mohanty’s primary critique targets the way Western feminists often view women in the Global South as a homogenous group of victims oppressed by patriarchal cultures. She argues that this approach erases the specificities of individual women’s lives, presenting them as lacking agency and reducing their experiences to simplistic narratives of victimhood.

“By assuming that Third World women lead homogenous lives defined solely by their victimization, Western feminism reinforces the very stereotypes it seeks to dismantle.”

1. Intersection of Feminism and Colonialism
2. Mohanty highlights how certain Western feminist analyses mirror colonialist discourses by imposing external interpretations on non-Western societies. This “feminist colonialism” undermines the agency of women in the Global South and perpetuates the notion that Western feminists hold the key to their liberation.
3. Reconceptualizing Solidarity
4. Rather than viewing women in the Global South as objects of rescue, Mohanty advocates for a solidarity based on mutual respect and shared learning. She calls for an intersectional approach that considers race, class, and culture, acknowledging the diversity of women’s experiences globally.

“Solidarity should not mean imposing a universal framework but rather collaborating across differences while respecting context and specificity.”

1. Decentering Western Knowledge
2. Mohanty emphasizes the importance of producing knowledge from within the contexts of the Global South, rather than relying on Western paradigms. She argues that empowering women requires respecting and amplifying their voices rather than appropriating or silencing them.

“Feminist knowledge must be situated, contextualized, and informed by the lived realities of women it seeks to represent.”

Relevance to Global Feminism

Mohanty’s work has profound implications for global feminism, urging it to be more reflexive, inclusive, and localized. She critiques the paternalistic tendencies within Western feminist frameworks and calls for a new feminist praxis that values cultural and historical specificity. Her ideas challenge global feminist movements to reimagine solidarity as a horizontal relationship rather than a vertical imposition of values.

Application to Arab and Postcolonial Contexts

In Arab and other postcolonial societies, Mohanty’s critique resonates deeply. Western feminist organizations often approach issues such as women’s rights in the Middle East with preconceived notions that fail to account for the complexity of these societies. For example:

• Simplistic Narratives: Women in Arab societies are often portrayed as victims of cultural oppression, ignoring the significant roles they play in their families, communities, and political movements.
• Ignoring Local Agency: Initiatives designed by international organizations frequently sideline local women’s voices, assuming that Western frameworks are universally applicable.
• Homogenization: Diverse experiences of women across rural and urban settings, different economic classes, and varying levels of education are often overlooked.

By applying Mohanty’s lens, feminist interventions in Arab and postcolonial contexts can become more nuanced, respectful, and effective.

Critiques of Mohanty’s Work

While Under Western Eyes is widely celebrated, it has also faced criticisms:

1. Complexity of Language: Mohanty’s theoretical language can be dense, making her arguments less accessible to non-academic audiences.
2. Focus on Western Feminism: Some critics argue that her critique might overemphasize the failings of Western feminism without equally addressing internal challenges within feminist movements in the Global South.

Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s Under Western Eyes remains a cornerstone in feminist and postcolonial theory. By challenging the universalizing tendencies of Western feminism, Mohanty paves the way for a more inclusive and equitable feminist praxis. Her work compels feminist scholars, activists, and organizations to rethink how they engage with the Global South, emphasizing the importance of local agency, diversity, and mutual respect. In doing so, she offers a vision of global feminism that is truly collaborative, contextual, and transformative.