Leading feminist analyst Cynthia Enloe asks why patriarchy is proving to be such a sustainable cultural, institutional and economic system. Decades of feminist campaigning have resulted in real advances - a woman newsreader is no longer unusual; many police departments are equipped with rape kits; more than half of the national legislators in Bolivia and Rwanda are women; a woman candidate won the popular vote in the recent U.S. presidential election. And yet patriarchy continues to thrive. From the institutional acceptance of sexual harassment within major news organizations to the exclusion of Syrian women from international peace negotiations, this book is a fierce and incisive exploration of patriarchal culture and how we are unwittingly sustaining patriarchy - for example, by falling into the celebrity trap, imagining that tourism is without consequence or casually using ungendered concepts (e.g. 'child marriages') to make sense of the world. With grace and energy, and in the most accessible and inviting prose, Cynthia Enloe reflects on examples from her own life and the experiences of women from around the world, to show that only by asking 'where are the women?' and making women's experiences visible, can we engage effectively in civic life and make sense of today's global politics.
Industry Reviews
'This is a manual for taking us to the finishing line of gender equality. A jolt of new energy for longstanding feminists and a 'must read' for our new generations. Without understanding the incredible tentacles of patriarchy and its reinventions, we are destined to fight old battles as well as new ones. Cynthia Enloe, a great scholar and source of wisdom, pries open jammed patriarchal doors and nails the continuing reasons for gender inequality. A brilliant critique and a manifesto for our resistance.' - Helena Kennedy QC; 'Cynthia Enloe mixes razor sharp analysis of contemporary patriarchy with profound empathy for women's multiple forms of resistance. Without doubt, she is the pre-eminent global feminist of our age.' - Melissa Benn; 'Physics has unified field theory; feminism has Cynthia Enloe... she gives us powerful tools for understanding and change. And with her usual alchemy, she makes an entertaining page-turner out of a serious subject.' - Sohaila Abdulali; 'Cynthia Enloe is an adventurer, an intellectual with a light touch and inveterate 'feminist curiosity'; here she is again travelling across time and space - revisiting her own great history as an activist scholar, the landscapes of new and old wars, new and old political settlements, new and old trades in banana and bombs; in all of them she shows how thinking about gender, the renewal of patriarchy and women's resistance, is vital to making sense of the world. It is a joy to travel with her.' - Beatrix Campbell; 'Cynthia Enloe is quite simply, brilliant! Her insight, analysis and clarity make this book a must read for politicians and staff of the UN. And it is an absolute delight for those of us who thought we knew how power works, but needed to be reminded. Cynthia weaves it all into an intricate and recognisable web. I loved it.' - Madeleine Rees, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; 'This book is a dream to read... a zeitgeist publication, it marks a moment in international and national politics characterised by a surge of right-wing populist aggression fuelled by 'toxic masculinities'... Cynthia Enloe writes in a pithy, witty, clear, and accessible style that ensures her work is accessible and easily read and absorbed. She has the popular touch. She also has the ability to leave the reader fired to action, not paralysed by the bleak picture that she depicts.' - Gender and Development; 'Cynthia Enloe is a force to be reckoned with and utterly tireless. Her work has long spanned intersectional analyses of gender, race and class. With typical laser focus, she repeatedly questions which things society pays attention to and which we consider insignificant. She emphasises the importance of feminist collaboration and curiosity, and is closely concerned with encouraging and supporting students and younger women. She is an inspiration.' - Laura Bates, The Guardian
