This network, created by UNESCO, was officially launched on 8 March 2007 in the framework of celebrations of International Women’s Day, on the occasion of a working session at which participated about 25 prominent women philosophers.

The testimonies of the women philosophers present, as well as the debate that followed, fully confirmed the soundness of the idea to create such a network. Indeed, while closely identifying the constraints imposed on women philosophers for different reasons and in different socio-cultural contexts, mostly the possibilities for wide-reaching action on varied topics were put forward with great enthusiasm.

Thus, a number of topics as territories to explore and/or re-explore or deconstruct were evoked on the occasion of this first meeting, inter alia: the contribution of women philosophers to a critical re-examination of the history of philosophy; their opening to a plurality of fields and notably to politics, literature and arts, resulting in the de-compartmentalization of the practice of philosophy and innovative articulations between different fields of research; the genealogy of the sexes; the understanding of the difficulties that democracy can meet vis-à-vis the difference between the sexes; the necessary work on words and language, on the difference between disciplines, on literary genres; the importance of cultural policies; the role of the question of sexuation in relation to rationality; the place of women in the teaching of philosophy at all levels; the instruction and alphabetisation of women; etc.

The notion of the universal was also addressed: it is important, as emphasized by several participants, to truly globalize a so-called universal of the reason, which is in reality a particularly recent achievement, now and here and certainly not everywhere.

The International Network of Women Philosophers thus aims at being an assembling tool that will allow women philosophers to give their points of view on a vast variety of subjects, and not only on topics related to gender.

As emphasized by Barbara Cassin, co-chair of the meeting together with Moufida Goucha, Chief of the Human Security, Democracy and Philosophy Section, this Network “will be what we make of it”. To do so, it is necessary both to fully emphasize the diversity of origins and backgrounds of its participants, and to rely on the possibilities of action that offer the different fields of competence of UNESCO (education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture and communication and information). In this context, it is envisaged to ensure the participation of members of the Network to international celebrations of World Philosophy Day, to Interregional Philosophical Dialogues, as well as to the promotion of the teaching of philosophy in the world.

In the months that follow, the members of the Network from France and from other countries will be invited to trace its directions of work and action. The numerous responses received from different countries subsequent to the Call launched for the constitution of the Network will serve to constitute the lists of members that will be implicated throughout the world in the activities of UNESCO and also of its various partners.


For more information and to submit names of women philosophers interested in taking part in the Network, please contact the Human Security, Democracy and Philosophy Section.

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