A unique look at the political experiences of women in two regions of the world--Latin American and Eastern and Central Europe--which have moved from authoritarian to democratic regimes. By examining various political attitudes and efforts of women as they learn to participate in the political process, contributors offer important new insights into democratic consolidation.
The expansion of married women's property rights was a main achievement of the first wave of feminism in Latin America. As Carmen Diana Deeere and Magdalena Leon reveal, however, the disjuncture between rights and actual ownership remains vast. This is particularly true in rural areas, where the distribution of land between men and women is highly unequal. In their pioneering, twelve-country comparative study, the authors argue that property ownership is directly related to womenÆs bargaining power within the household and community, point out changes resulting from recent gender-progressive legislation, and identify additional areas for future reform, including inheritance rights of wives.
This critical analysis of the role of the state, diversity of women's movements and the social and political position of indigenous peoples of Latin America provides an illuminating discussion of the ways in which the state defines women's interest, and constructs women's citizenship.
Recent years have seen a shift in the international development agenda in the direction of a greater emphasis on rights and democracy. While this has brought many positive changes in women's rights and political representation, in much of the world these advances were not matched by increases in social justice. Rising income inequalities, coupled with widespread poverty in many countries, have been accompanied by record levels of crime and violence. Meanwhile the global shift in the consensus over the role of the state in welfare provision has in many contexts entailed the down-sizing of public services and the re-allocation of service delivery to commercial interests, charitable groups, NGOs and households. Gender Justice, Development, and Rights reflects on this ambivalent record, and on the significance accorded in international development policy to rights and democracy in the post-Cold War era. Key items on the contemporary policy agenda-neo-liberal economic and social policies; democracy; and multiculturalism-are addressed here by leading scholars and regional specialists through theoretical reflections and detailed case studies. Together they constitute a collection which casts contemporary liberalism in a distinctive light by applying a gender perspective to the analysis of political and policy processes. Case studies from Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, East-Central Europe, South and South-east Asia contribute a cross-cultural dimension to the analysis of contemporary liberalism-the dominant value system in the modern world-and how it exists, and is resisted, in developing and post-transition societies.
"Theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich, Julie Shayne's study elucidates the gender dynamics of revolution--with implications beyond her Latin American cases--while also bringing life to the experiences of some extraordinary revolutionary feminists."--Valentine M. Moghadam, Director of Women's Studies and Professor of Sociology, Illinois State University and Chief, Gender Section, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO "The Revolution Question offers a valuable and compelling examination of the crucial question of why feminism matters to social change. Until we all accept this fundamental truth, there will be no possiblility for real social change."--Margaret Randall, author of When I Look into the Mirror and See You: Women, Terror & Resistance "Julie Shayne has produced a well-written and thoughtful account of the importance of women to the success of revolutionary movements and the (largely inadvertent) role of the revolutionary leadership in creating the conditions for the rise of feminist movements. Scholars and students will find her extensive interviews to be valuable and thought-provoking, making this an excellent resource for the classroom."--Karen Kampwirth, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Latin American Studies Program, Knox College What do women do for revolutions? And what do revolutions do for women? Julie Shayne explores the roles of women in revolutionary struggles and the relationship of these movements to the emergence of feminism. Focusing upon the three very different cases of El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba, Shayne documents the roles of women in armed and unarmed political activities. She argues that women contribute to and participate in revolutionary movements in ways quite distinct from men. Despite the fact that their political contributions tend to be seen as less important than those of their male comrades, the roles that women play are actually quite significant to the expansion of revolutionary movements. Shayne also explains how, given the convergence of political and ideological factors, feminism is often born in the wake of revolutionary movements. As a result, revolutionary feminism is a struggle that addresses larger structures of political and economic inequalities. Based on in-depth interviews with activists in all three countries, The Revolution Question offers new insight into the complex gender relations underlying revolutionary social movements and enables us to re-assess both the ways that women affect political struggle and the ways in which political struggle affects women. Julie D. Shayne is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at Emory University.
The international scope of the case studies means that the book will appeal to the international market Civil society and gender studies are both widely studied and pervious titles in these areas have sold well There are no competing titles that consider both civil society and women's political activities
This revised edition of The Struggle for Democracy in Chile should prove even more useful to the student of Latin American history and politics than the original. It updates important background information on the evolution of Chile?s military dictatorship in the 1970s and its erosion in the 1980s. Brian Loveman, an authority on contemporary Chilean politics, offers a comprehensive examination of the transition to civilian government in Chile from 1990 to 1994 in a substantial new chapter. Loveman chronicles the rise of the Concertaci¢n coalition, the strained relations between General Pinochet?s military and President Alwyn?s civilian government, and the roles of the National Women?s Service (SERNAM), the Catholic Church, and the indigenous peoples of Chile. All eleven essays by the leading authorities on the Pinochet regime from the earlier edition have been retained. The bibliography has been updated and the index improved. ø The Struggle for Democracy in Chile remains the first and foremost book on the transition over the last twenty-five years from dictatorship to democracy in Chile.
Rethinking Empowerment looks at the changing role of women in developing countries and calls for a new approach to empowerment. An approach that adopts a more nuanced, feminist interpretation of power and em(power)ment, recognises that local empowerment is always embedded in regional, national and global contexts, pays attention to institutional structures and politics and acknowledges that empowerment is both a process and an outcome. Moreover, the book warns that an obsession with measurement rather than process can undermine efforts to foster transformative and empowering outcomes. It concludes that power must be restored as the centrepiece of empowerment. Only then will the term and its advocates provide meaningful ammunition for dealing with the challenges of an increasingly unequal, and often sexist, global/local world.
Engendering Democracy in Chile documents the rise of a women's movement in Chile in response to the establishment of a military regime. It focuses on the growth of the women's movement and its institutionalization under the new democratic government and concludes with its achievements while highlighting the challenges faced by women as they work for political and economic change in Chile.
