Why have there been no Founding Mothers of Europe?
Why have there been no Founding Mothers of Europe?

Summary/Abstract: Women seem strangely absent in the process of European integration, or rather, in the dominant narratives that shape our understanding of how a united Europe was created. The historiography of European integration is populated by founding fathers, but there are hardly any founding mothers in sight. Drawing on the famous essay by feminist art historian Linda Nochlin (Why have there been no great women artists? 1971), this article makes a threefold contribution to the literature: first, it outlines the pitfalls of the feminist urge to ‘(re)discover’ women; second, it investigates the ‘founding fathers’ as a social construct; and, finally, it highlights the key role of institutional opportunity structures for women’s participation in politics.

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