“Towards an Inclusive Capitalism”: A Neo-Gramscian Analysis of the IMF’s Feminist Turn During Christine Lagarde’s Term (2011-2019)

Abstract This article aims to analyse, based on the theoretical contributions of neo-Gramscian authors, the narrative mechanisms mobilized in the construction of the feminist turn of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during Christine Lagarde’s tenure. Through network analysis, discourse analysis and content analysis, we conclude that although Lagarde, besides being the first female director, did not represent a turning point compared to her predecessors. However, she did use her authority from being a woman in a position of power to legitimize free market values as part of a feminist agenda. The director’s speeches and documents from the period emphasize free market and economic insertion as solutions for gender equality. Thus, the IMF’s feminist turn mobilizes concepts such as empowerment and leadership in an effort to link greater market participation to the promotion of gender equality. Therefore, there is an adoption of narrative elements related to feminist ideas in an instrumental way, aiming to legitimize the institution’s traditional neoliberal policies.