In Progress

This paper is part of a larger discussion paper on “Citizenship, Diaspora, and Marriage Migration in Asia,” a collaborative project of the Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA), with Isis International-Manila, and the Kanlungan Centre Foundation Inc. The summary discussions selected for this presentation are alternative notions of citizenship with particular focus on contributions coming from feminist theorists, queer theorists, and activists. Generally, the notions highlighted in this presentation interrogate citizenship as both gendered and sexual, and argue on behalf of development strategies that address both equality and difference (Lister, 2003). The paper also includes imaginings from the 3rd Feminist Dialogues (FD) presentations, illustrating that alternative notions of citizenship are intertwined with alternative notions of democracy (feministdialogues.isiswomen.org). These imaginings of citizenship will be linked to the realities of marriage migration in Asia, particularly the issues and conditions often encountered by Asian women.