Feminism, Violence and Nonviolence - by Selina Gallo-Cruz

About the Book

Examines how feminists have engaged with nonviolence as a means of addressing violence from the 1970s to the 2000s

Book Synopsis

What can nonviolence offer to feminists working to end violence against women? Can nonviolence be used by women to protect themselves from street and work harassment, from partner battering, date rape and sexual assault? What are the connections between war and sexism, and how should nonviolent activists address them? How should feminists confront the structural violence of racism, xenophobia, colonialism, land displacement and environmental destruction? Feminism, Violence and Nonviolence features a carefully curated selection of seminal texts originally published from the 1970s to the 2000s, which document dynamic feminist thinking on the root causes of violence, the social forces inculcating violence into patriarchal institutions and relationships, and the many insights that nonviolence can gain from a feminist perspective. This collection of essays, articles, pamphlets, flyers and excerpts from books of feminist thought brings together the voices of the women and men who helped to transform movement consciousness on issues of sexism, racism, colonialism and a broader array of 'otherisms', expanding and diversifying nonviolent philosophy. With a sociological and historical introduction to the movement, and author and organisational biographies, this is an essential resource for students of gendered and sexualised peace, violence and justice.

Review Quotes

The words of feminist luminaries - among them Charlotte Bunch, Andrea Dworkin, Audre Lorde, Pam McAllister, and Adrienne Rich - provide an important grounding in pro-peace tactics and strategies. What's more, by tracing the ways misogyny is learned, internalized, and transmitted, Feminism, Violence and Nonviolence challenges patriarchal domination and highlights the ongoing impact that racism, sexism, colonialism, displacement, interpersonal violence, and war continue to play in the lives of women and their loved ones.--Eleanor J. Bader "The Indypendent"

This collection brilliantly uplifts the voices of women and feminists who, despite their marginalization in 'traditional' histories, have shaped the theory and practice of nonviolence. It traces a trajectory of feminist thinking that enriches our thinking on violence and its causes, including patriarchy and intersectional gender relations. In so doing, it shows how nonviolence needs feminism if it is to guide us in the creation of a more just and peaceful world.

--Catia Confortini, Wellesley College

About the Author

Selina Gallo-Cruz is Associate Professor of Sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, USA.