Women in Black
Against Violence, For Peace With Justice
Women in Black works with other feminist movements, builds on shared strengths and develops joint actions.
About the book
“Rape, femicide and the social exploitation of women are endemic. Feminist activism to end gendered oppression and violence is urgent and will be strengthened by fostering a greater understanding of the masculinist and patriarchal nature of militarism and war and making the scope and extent of current movements for change better known.” — Cynthia Cockburn
Women in Black is a worldwide network of women “committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence.” The late feminist solidarity activist Cynthia Cockburn tells the story of this indispensable global anti-violence movement known around the world for staging dramatic actions that seek to expose and denounce war, rape, militarism and apartheid. As well as an inspiring account of a networked feminist struggle, this book also presents a template for analysis and action in our era of multiplying wars, surging military spending and rampant gendered violence. As neoliberal states starve the commons to feed the war machine and nationalist movements gain traction around the world, there is much to learn from the transversal actions and coalition building that Women in Black has engaged in for decades.
Cynthia Cockburn knew she was going to die before she was able to complete this book, so she asked her companions from the global Women in Black network to carry on with this vital project of chronicling a movement that has spanned decades and continents. The result is a testament to the beauty and intellectual power of a truly collective effort. This dramatic and inspiring story of a history-making movement could not be more vital and life affirming.
Activism & Social Movements Feminism, Gender & Sexuality Sociology
What people are saying
Sheila Rowbotham, English socialist feminist theorist and historian“Women in Black reminds us of the need to connect moral outrage against wrong, empathy with individuals and engagement with the intricacies of the political dilemmas facing us on the world stage. Knowing how others have done this is a source of ineradicable strength.”
Beatrix Campbell, writer, journalist and influential feminist“Women in Black is both a tribute to the feminist activist and scholar Cynthia Cockburn, and resistance to gendered violence, from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, war in the former Yugoslavia, oppression and displacement in Africa, Asia and the Americas. This book is a sober and erudite rebuke to those who minimise — or erase — feminist insights into violence, and an inspiring narrative of international peace movements made by women.”
Contents
- Chapter 1 Springing to Life: Women in Black in Israel Palestine
- Chapter 2 Stepping Out: Women in Black Travels to the USA, Italy and Yugoslavia
- Chapter 3 Women in Black UK
- Chapter 4 Getting Connected: From Spain to Leuven
- Chapter 5 Justice for Women from India to South Africa
- Chapter 6 Women in Black in South and Central America
- Chapter 7 Women in Black Armenia: Hope for the Future?
- Afterword