Towards a feminist and anthropological institutionalism: Congolese multi-scalar experiences of women, development and law

New institutional theory enables us to identify the obstacles faced by a State when structuring its institutions. The feminist variant of this approach focuses more specifically on highlighting the condition of women in processes of institutional change. Through a multi-sited ethnographic study based in North Kivu, in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this article argues that feminist institutionalism can make a significant contribution to the field of law and development. However, feminist institutionalism should draw more inspiration from social anthropology, in order to better grasp the multi-scalar institutional dynamics that are peculiar to the world of development.