Full Description
Across an ever-changing political landscape, and in the midst of Brexit developments, this edited collection draws our attention to women's participation in transformative democratic processes, and captures how UK women were made 'other' in the political environment created by Brexit.
Chronicling the work of diverse feminist activists connected to women's equality organisations, grassroots networks and migrant communities who between them strove to further intersectional equality, and ensure women's voices were heard across the UK during the Brexit campaign, the first section of this book highlights the impact of populist discourses on subjective identities and their place in public and political life. Through reflective conversation, autobiographical writing and poetic pieces, the authors transform their experiences of being 'othered', showcasing instead a new found community and collective agency across intersections of identity. In the second section, researchers and activists analyse how the socio-economic, political and legal changes unleashed by Brexit are undermining women's equality in the UK. Considering how to defend feminist concerns when facing populist political leadership, the authors make the case for constitutional reform which will enable direct female participation in the democratic process. Looking ahead to the post Brexit landscape, and the unknowable future let loose by Covid-19, the contributors offer us a glimpse of the world they are striving to create.
Contents
Introduction: Feminist Resistance in a Brexit Environment; Sue Cohen and Margaret Page Section 1: From the political to the personal and back again: reclaiming belonging.
Chapter 1. How Brexit is Changing Women's Lives; Sue Cohen and Margaret Page
Chapter 2. Pivotal Moments in Feminizing Democracy: From the person to the political; Sue Cohen and Margaret Page
2.a: Extracts from the Journal of a Struggling Activist; Sue Cohen
2.b: Resistance in a Landscape of Othering; Margaret Page
Chapter 3. From the Political to the Personal in An Age of Uncertainty: Assault on self, identity, family, community, and nationhood; Susanna Giullari, Negat Hussein, Moestak Hussein, L., Tove Samzelius, Sue Cohen.
Chapter 4. Post-Brexit haiku: Countering prejudice with sticks-in -the-spokes and Danish pastries; Jane Speedy.
Section 2: Feminising Democracy in Westminster and Devolved Nations
Chapter 5. Inspiring Change: Women Organising Across the Devolved Nations; Natasha Davies and Hade Turkmen (Chwarae Teg Wales). Lyn Carvill, (Women's Budget Group Northern Ireland); Emma Ritch (Engender Scotland) and Sue Cohen.
Chapter 6. Feminists mobilising against Brexit in Westminster; Jenna Norman
Chapter 7. Risky Futures: Women in the British labour market; Susan Milner
Chapter 8. Towards Feminist Democracy: Populist forces and feminist activism; Diane Bunyan, Jackie Longworth, Su Maddock and Margaret Page.
Chapter 9. Everything has Changed and Nothing has Changed: Glimpses of utopian and dystopian futures; Sue Cohen and Margaret Page.
