Footnote Press lands feminist study of war from political scientist and activist Enloe

Footnote Press has commissioned Twelve Feminist Lessons of War from professor of politics and activist Cynthia Enloe.

Consulting editor Candida Lacey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, including translation, directly from the author for publication in September 2023.

Twelve Feminist Lessons of War draws on first-hand experiences of war from women in countries including Ukraine, Myanmar, Somalia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Algeria, Syria and Northern Ireland, “showing how women’s wars are not men’s wars, and how women’s rights activists – against all odds – remain active in the midst of armed violence”.

The publisher’s synopsis continues: “Speaking to readers alarmed by the war in Ukraine and using gender research and analysis from wars over the last century from dozens of countries, Enloe spells out the lessons that women activists have identified from their immediate experiences of war. With her trademark engaging style, she demonstrates how patriarchy and militarism have deeply embedded themselves in our institutions and in our personal lives.

“She shows how the social and political processes that shape war – from economic collapse, military recruitment and corruption to sexual assault, marriage and reproductive rights (and their denial) – are shaped by definitions of masculinities and femininities; and how these gendered assumptions, in turn, shape both women’s experiences of war and their lives before, during and in the aftermath of war."

Lacey said: “Cynthia Enloe is the pre-eminent intersectional and internationally engaged feminist researcher of our age. She is an unconventional political scientist, a feminist icon and an inspiring mentor to several generations of students and activists.

“Her unique lens on international relations and her razor-sharp analysis – at once accessible and provocative – highlight how women’s emotional and physical labour is used to support government policies. She points to the importance of testimony, and leaves us in no doubt that women’s multiple forms of resistance are alive and kicking even in the most challenging circumstances.”

Enloe is a research professor at Clark University in Massachusetts and author of 15 books. She has been awarded the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s Howard Zinn Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, Enloe was chosen as one of the 100 names written on the Gender Justice Wall at the International Crimes Court in The Hague.