Congratulations Ellen Chesler and Terry McGovern (one of our Lancet Commissioners) on the publication of Women and Girls Rising – Progress and resistance around the world. A fantastic new book presenting the current thinking relevant to advancing the understanding of global governance in the area of women’s and girl’s rights.
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that improvements in the status of women and girls (however worthy and important in their own right) also drive the prosperity, stability, and security of families, communities, and nations. Yet despite many indicators of progress, women and girls everywhere – including countries of the developed world – continue to confront barriers to their full and equal participation in social, economic, and political life.
Capturing voices and experiences from around the world, this work documents the modern history of the global women’s movement – its many accomplishments and setbacks. Drawing together prominent pioneers and contemporary policymakers, activists, and scholars, the volume interrogates where and why progress has met resistance and been slowed, and examines the still unfinished agenda for change in national and international policy arenas. This history and roadmap are especially critical for younger generations who need a better understanding of this rich feminist legacy and the intense opposition that women’s movements have generated.
This book creates a clear and forceful narrative about women’s agency and the central relevance of women’s rights movements to global and national policy-making. It is essential reading for activists and policy makers, students and scholars alike.
Five sections examine:
- critical developments in changing global gender norms;
- the realization of rights in national and local contexts;
- efforts to achieve full economic justice for women and girls;
- cultural, structural and resource barriers to educating girls and eliminating child marriage;
- the gendered dimensions of climate change.