Women And Politics In The Third World

Women and Politics in the Third World is the first comprehensive textbook on women's political activities in the third world. It provides a feminist analytical perspective on the specific forms of resistance, organisation and negotiation by women in third world states. Using case studies, the book focuses on difference as a theoretical basis for investigating feminine political activism. Though Western analysts have attributed weakness to terms such as motherhood, marriage and domesticity, as choices made by non-Western women, the contributors show that such strategies are used by women to pursue particular goals such as seeking resources, welfare or freedom from oppression for their children. These strategies, the book suggests, should not be classified as unimportant or temporary and can be highly effective even within such discourses as Islamic fundamentalism. The contributors highlight differing political approaches in regions as diverse as Latin America, South East Asia, China and the Middle East.

This work offers a gendered analysis of Third World politics. It uses a wide definition of the political to examine both high politics and political activity at the grassroots, focusing particularly on women's organizations. It also examines the impact of policy and politics on gender relations and on different groups of women. After a general discussion of the major theoretical questions involved in the study of gender in Third World politics, and the nature of the Third World and development, the analysis is developed through the in-depth study of different political formations. These are colonialism, revolution, authoritarianism, and democracy and democratization. Examples are taken from much of the Third World.

"The essays are provocative and enhance knowledge of Third World women's issues. Highly recommended . . . " —Choice " . . . the book challenges assumptions and pushes historic and geographical boundaries that must be altered if women of all colors are to win the struggles thrust upon us by the 'new world order' of the 1990s." —New Directions for Women "This surely is a book for anyone trying to comprehend the ways sexism fuels racism in a post-colonial, post-Cold War world that remains dangerous for most women." —Cynthia H. Enloe " . . . provocative analyses of the simultaneous oppressions of race, class, gender and sexuality . . . a powerful collection." —Gloria Anzaldúa " . . . propels third world feminist perspectives from the periphery to the cutting edge of feminist theory in the 1990s." —Aihwa Ong " . . . a carefully presented wealth of much-needed information." —Audre Lorde " . . . it is a significant book." —The Bloomsbury Review " . . . excellent . . . The nondoctrinaire approach to the Third World and to feminism in general is refreshing and compelling." —World Literature Today ". . . an excellent collection of essays examining 'Third World' feminism." —The Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory These essays document the debates, conflicts, and contradictions among those engaged in developing third world feminist theory and politics. Contributors: Evelyne Accad, M. Jacqui Alexander, Carmen Barroso, Cristina Bruschini, Rey Chow, Juanita Diaz-Cotto, Angela Gilliam, Faye V. Harrison, Cheryl Johnson-Odim, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Ann Russo, Barbara Smith, Nayereh Tohidi, Lourdes Torres, Cheryl L. West, & Nellie Wong.

This book presents provocative analyses of the simultaneous oppressions of race, class, gender, and sexuality, as well as the role that imperialism plays in the productions of knowledge and of persons- a powerful collection.

This book synthesizes and analyzes three decades of economic, political, and cultural policies and politics toward third world women. Focusing on the impact of the current global economic and political crises - debt, famine, militarization, and fundamentalism - the authors show how, through organization, poor women have begun to mobilize creative and effective development strategies to pull themselves and their families out of immiserating circumstances.

First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Adopting the notion of 'third world' as a political as well as a geographical category, this volume analyzes marginalized women's experiences of globalization. It unravels the intersections of race, culture, ethnicity, nationality and class which have shaped the position of these women in the global political economy, their cultural and their national history. In addition to a thematically structured and highly informative investigation, the authors offer an exploration of the policy implications which are commonly neglected in mainstream literature. The result is a must have volume for sociological academics, social policy experts and professionals working within non-governmental organizations.