Rwanda and Bosnia both experienced mass violence in the early 1990s. Less than ten years later, Rwandans surprisingly elected the world's highest level of women to parliament. In Bosnia, women launched thousands of community organizations that became spaces for informal political participation. The political mobilization of women in both countries complicates the popular image of women as merely the victims and spoils of war. Through a close examination of these cases, Marie E. Berry unpacks the puzzling relationship between war and women's political mobilization. Drawing from over 260 interviews with women in both countries, she argues that war can reconfigure gendered power relations by precipitating demographic, economic, and cultural shifts. In the aftermath, however, many of the gains women made were set back. This book offers an entirely new view of women and war, and includes concrete suggestions for policy makers, development organizations, and activists supporting women's rights.
Les mer
1. From violence to mobilization: war, women, and power; 2. Historical roots of mass violence in Rwanda; 3. War and structural shifts in Rwanda; 4. Women's political mobilization in Rwanda; 5. Historical roots of mass violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina; 6. War and structural shifts in Bosnia-Herzegovina; 7. Women's political mobilization in Bosnia-Herzegovina; 8. Limits of mobilization; 9. Conclusion.
Les mer
'Berry's War, Women, and Power is a true tour de force. We know that periods of war are often followed by increases in women's political participation, but prior to this book, we didn't understand why. Combining careful historical analyses, with more than 260 interviews with political actors in Rwanda and Bosnia, Berry traces the process by which the destruction of war pushed women to develop new network ties, new community organizations, and new collective humanitarian projects, which in turn institutionalized new forms of women's political participation. Sadly, however, she also finds that these gains are relatively short lived. More than just a patriarchal backlash, Berry demonstrates how well-meaning international humanitarian assistance had the surprising and unanticipated consequence of flattening out women's nascent political gains. Engaging, heart wrenching, and original, War, Women, and Power is a must read for everyone interested in gender, war, and the necessity of building equitable post-war societies.' Jocelyn Viterna, Harvard University, Massachusetts
Les mer
While dominant narratives emphasize war's destructive effects, this book demonstrates how war can open up unexpected opportunities for women's political mobilization.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781108401517
Publisert
2018-08-09
Utgiver
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Vekt
460 gr
Høyde
230 mm
Bredde
153 mm
Dybde
18 mm
Aldersnivå
P, U, 06, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
297

Forfatter

Biographical note

Marie E. Berry is Assistant Professor of International Comparative Politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver.