An Introduction to Western Feminist International Relations Li Yingtao (43) In the late 1980s, combining the analysis of gender issues in society with the s tudy of international politics, Feminist International Relations (FIRs) was foun ded as a discipline by Western feminists and other researchers in the field of i nternational relations. Firstly, the paper introduces the background, developmen t and the main schools of the discipline. Then it analyzes and evaluates the ach ievements accomplished in the last ten years.