Segmenting and equalizing narratives in the ILO's standard-setting practice

Abstract

In shaping the employment relationship internationally, the ILO initially reproduced the Western normative narrative of the standard employment relationship (SER). When the global South and women gained a stronger voice within the ILO, a contrasting egalitarian narrative emerged, challenging the SER hegemony and creating a layering of narratives. Combining historical institutionalism and structuration theory, the authors follow the development of these narratives and consider how the resultant legal and normative conflicts between them can be explained by focusing on the composition of ILO membership and the representation of women in International Labour Conferences over time. The authors draw a number of legal-political conclusions from their findings.