Impact of Armed Conflicts on Women in South Asia

This book exposes the different ways in which violent conflicts increase patriarchal controls on women and the impact of militarisation on women and men, on masculinities and femininities. In all the societies and communities under discussion in the five countries, the authors point to the different ways in which women react and respond to the conflict. They become victims of various acts of repression and abuse. The book exposes that even armed militant women choose to respond to violence with violence. On the other side militants mothers respond to violence with non-violent means of political agitation. The authors articulate a general position on the need to redefine democracy within the South Asian context, in a way which recognises minority rights and acknowledges the nature of all South Asian states as multicultural and multinational. Within this overarching framework, the authors see womens involvement in militancy and in peace building as enabling a new construction of democracy, human rights and citizenship. The need for a re conceptualisation of security to mean human security and peace with justice, rights and equality is both advocated and emphasised. In this process, the authors address the need to begin to de-construct the exercise of masculinist power in its different forms, especially as played out in war and conflict. Published in association with Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo.

Table of Contents:
Preface; Introduction -- Historical Background: The Natuure of Conflict in Modern South Asia; For Her the War Continues: Women, Insurgency & the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh; Implications of Insurgency on Women: The Sri Lankan Experience; On the Edge: The Impact of the Insurgency on Nepali Women; Post-9/11: Terror, Terrorists & Women; Resources or Symbols? Women & Armed Conflicts in India; Index.

About the Author :
Ava Darshan Shreshta (PhD) is working as a Social Development/General Consultant in Nepal. She has worked for the government, United Nations agencies, bilateral agencies and several donors including the International Non-Governmental Organizations for the past two decades. She is also affiliated to many NGOs. Her research work primarily focuses on poverty, reproductive health, micro credit, employment and empowerment of women. More recently she has been researching on conflict/insurgency and its impact on women. A feminist activist, Rita Thapa is globally recognized for her ground-breaking work in founding Tewa, the Nepal Womens Fund. Currently she is engaged in peace-building work primarily through Nagarik Aawaz which she helped found in 2001. Rita is former chair of the Board of the Global Fund for Women and is a current board member of the Urgent Action Fund.