Theory of the Counterinsurgent Girl

This Element theorizes the emergence of the girl as the subject of Western imperialist power. In 1983, Gayatri Spivak denounced imperialism as a practice of 'white men saving brown women from brown men.' During the global war on terrorism, the development and military establishment shifted its practices and rhetoric in response to her critique.

This Element theorizes the emergence of the girl as the ideal subject of Western imperialist power. Feminist anti-imperialist scholars have long argued that imperialism operates through the global North's claim to be the savior of voiceless, victimized women and girls in the global South. However, during the global war on terrorism, the military and development organizations of the global North shifted their practices and rhetoric in response to the popularization of this feminist anti-imperialist critique. Focusing on this key historical shift, Theory of the Counterinsurgent Girl argues that hegemonic Western cultural and military strategies have moved away from 'saving' women to 'empowering' girls, in keeping with the neoliberal emphasis on individual resilience and agency. This Element traces the rise to dominance of the figure of the agential girl, analyzing how she has been incorporated into decision-making, securitizing, and policing operations as both a surveillance tool and a social justice goal.