Women and Power in Postconflict Africa

This book explains why women's rights are improving more rapidly in post-conflict countries in Africa than elsewhere on the continent.

Aili Mari Tripp (Author)

9781107115576, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 October 2015

300 pages, 5 b/w illus. 4 maps 33 tables
23.7 x 15.4 x 2.3 cm, 0.56 kg

'Tripp has performed a great service in pulling together a wide range of research and analysis on women and political power. In the end, she has brought us a thoughtful assessment of an issue that should be at the top of every nation's agenda - what can be done to improve the role and influence of women in politics, not only in Africa, but around the world.' Kathleen Sheldon, African Studies Review

The book explains an unexpected consequence of the decrease in conflict in Africa after the 1990s. Analysis of cross-national data and in-depth comparisons of case studies of Uganda, Liberia and Angola show that post-conflict countries have significantly higher rates of women's political representation in legislatures and government compared with countries that have not undergone major conflict. They have also passed more legislative reforms and made more constitutional changes relating to women's rights. The study explains how and why these patterns emerged, tying these outcomes to the conjuncture of the rise of women's movements, changes in international women's rights norms and, most importantly, gender disruptions that occur during war. This book will help scholars, students, women's rights activists, international donors, policy makers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others better understand some of the circumstances that are most conducive to women's rights reform today and why.

Part I. Setting the Stage: Preface
1. Introduction
2. Pathways to change in political gender regimes
Part II. Case Studies: 3. Uganda: forging a new trajectory
4. Liberia: the power of fighting for peace
5. Angola: the limits of post-conflict gender policy reform
Part III. New Openings for Women's Rights: 6. Women's rights in peace agreements
7. Women's rights in post-conflict constitutions
Part IV. Gendered Outcomes: 8. Women and leadership in post-conflict countries
9. Women's rights and post-conflict legislative reform
Part V. Future Research: 10. New frontiers in the study of women, conflict, and peace.

Subject Areas: Armed conflict [JPWS], Comparative politics [JPB], Gender studies: women [JFSJ1]