Catherine MacKinnon
contemporaryFeminist Legal Theory, Critical Legal Studiesb. 1946
Catharine A. MacKinnon (b. 1946) is an American feminist legal scholar and activist whose work has fundamentally shaped legal theory on sexual harassment, pornography, and sex discrimination. She developed the dominance theory of feminism, arguing that law structurally reflects and reinforces male power over women. Her scholarship bridged legal doctrine and feminist political theory in ways that produced lasting doctrinal change.
Notable Achievements
1
Pioneered the legal recognition of sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination under Title VII
2
Developed dominance feminism, reframing sex inequality as a system of power rather than mere difference
3
Co-authored (with Andrea Dworkin) model anti-pornography ordinances framing pornography as civil rights violation
4
Authored foundational texts including Sexual Harassment of Working Women (1979) and Toward a Feminist Theory of the State (1989)
5
Litigated landmark international cases establishing rape as a war crime and instrument of genocide