Policy Press

The Unfinished Revolution

Voices from the Global Fight for Women's Rights

Edited by Minky Worden

Published

Jul 4, 2012

Page count

384 pages

ISBN

978-1447307365

Dimensions

140 x 208 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jul 4, 2012

Page count

384 pages

ISBN

978-1447308980

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jul 4, 2012

Page count

384 pages

ISBN

978-1447309109

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
The Unfinished Revolution

CUSTOMERS IN NORTH AMERICA: COPIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM WWW.SEVENSTORIES.COM Women's rights have progressed significantly in the last two decades, but major challenges remain in order to end global gender discrimination. The unfinished revolution: Voices from the global fight for women's rights outlines the recent history of the battle to secure basic rights for women and girls, including in the Middle East where the hopes raised by the Arab Spring are yet to be fulfilled. This anthology opens with a foreword by Christiane Amanpour and features essays by more than 30 writers, activists, policymakers and human rights experts, including Nobel laureates Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams. Most important are contributions from women who have fought against human rights abuses and have become agents of change. Contributors propose new workable solutions to ongoing rights violations including human trafficking and harmful traditional practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. As a whole, the book shows that the struggle for women's equality is far from over and is essential reading for everyone involved in the fight to realise the full potential for half the world's population. 

"Diverse voices of hopeless, hopeful, and boldly determined women from around the world comprise a compelling, multicultural resource supplemented by copious endnotes, a reading list, and an index." Booklist

"While sociologically and academically relevant, this is a cohesive and eminently readable document that is simultaneously an inspiration and a call-to-action." Publishers Weekly

"The unfinished revolution is a great read, essential for any reader who is passionate about human rights, freedom, justice, and equality for all." 5 star review on Amazon.com

"The book’s thoughtful organization and structure make it easily accessible to anyone interested in human rights, women’s issues or global inequalities." LSE Review of Books

"This important book brings together the stories of women across the world who still struggle for their rights, and their rightful place in their own societies. Some of their stories are heart-breaking, others inspiring and uplifting. They tell us about the "power of an idea" to bring about real change in the lives of women and girls, however painfully slow in some places, and visibly strong in others." Lyse Doucet, BBC special correspondent

"The unfinished revolution made me angry and hopeful in equal measure - angry because it charts the abuse of women's rights the world over, hopeful because it tells the stories of brave women and men who are bringing change. Essential reading for those who work in the field of human rights." Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News

As Director of Global Initiatives for Human Rights Watch, Minky Worden develops and implements international outreach and advocacy campaigns. She previously served as Human Rights Watch's Media Director, as an adviser to Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee in Hong Kong, and as a speechwriter at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. She is the editor of China's Great Leap (Seven Stories Press, 2008), and co-editor of Torture (The New Press, 2005).

Foreword: A historic moment for women's rights ~ Christiane Amanpour; Introduction: Revolutions and Rights ~ Minky Worden; PART ONE: A revolution in thinking: women's rights are human rights: The Shoulders we stand on: Eleanor Roosevelt and roots of the women's rights revolution ~ Ellen Chesler; How women's rights became recognized as human rights ~ Charlotte Bunch; Technology's quiet revolution for women ~ Isobel Coleman; PART TWO: Revolutions and transitions: Islamic law and the revolution against women ~ Shirin Ebadi; A civil society-led revolution? Promoting civil society and women's rights in the Middle East ~ Sussan Tahmasebi; After the Arab spring, mobilizing for change in Egypt ~ Esraa Abdel Fattah and Sarah J. Robbins; Women in Iraq: losing ground ~ Samer Muscati; Saudi women's struggle ~ Christoph Wilcke; PART THREE: Conflict zones: Devastating remnants of war: the impact of armed conflict on women and girls ~ Jody Williams; Under siege in Somalia ~ Hawa Abdi and Sarah J. Robbins; Confronting rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo ~ Anneke Van Woudenberg; "I was sold twice": harmful traditional practices in Afghanistan ~ Georgette Gagnon; Letters in the night: closing space for women and girls in Afghanistan ~ Rachel Reid; PART FOUR: The economies of rights: education, work and property: Unequal in Africa: how property rights can empower women ~ Janet Walsh; Cleaning house: the growing movement for domestic workers' rights ~ Nisha Varia; Ending trafficking of women and girls ~ Mark P. Lagon; Do no harm: "post-traffiking" abuses ~ Elaine Pearson; PART FIVE: Violence against women: A needed revolution: testing rape kits and US justice ~ Sarah Tofte; Violence against immigrant women in the United States ~ Meghan Rhoad; Behind closed doors: domestic violence in Europe ~ Gauri van Gulik; PART SIX: Women and health: Maternal mortality: ending needless deaths in childbirth ~ Aruna Kashyap; PHOTO ESSAYS: THE UNFINISHED REVOLUTION IN IMAGES; Lasting wounds: female genital mutilation ~ Nadya Khalife; Fistula: giving birth and living death in Africa ~ Agnes Odhiambo; Fatal consequences: women, abortion and power in Latin America ~ Marianne Mollmann; PART SEVEN: Political constraints and harmful traditions: Claiming women's rights in China ~ Sharon K. Hom; A long march for women's rights in China ~ Sheridan Prasso; Girls not brides ~ Graça Machel and Mary Robinson; Damned if you do, damned if you don't: religious dress and women's rights ~ Judith Sunderland; PART EIGHT: The next frontier: a road map to rights: Funding an unfinished revolution ~ Gara LaMarche; The challenge of changing the world for women ~ Liesl Gerntholtz; Afterword: The revolution continues ~ Dorothy Q. Thomas.