The Agency of Women Over Two Generations

The book explores one of the most critical concepts in gender theories. It attempts to understand the 'agency' of the diasporic subjects. It locates agency in the personal narratives of two generations of Bangladeshi immigrant women in the United Kingdom (UK). The author problematizes the liberal notion of autonomy which considers religion as an obstacle to women's agency. She uncouples agency from resistance, choice and the provision of change without nullifying the latter concepts within agency. The book defines agency as the 'strategies' that women use to lead their lives in different ways. One of the central arguments of this book is that there is none without agency, nor is someone with more agency or with less agency. Everyone has agency, but everyone has different forms of agency. This is an important book for the academics, gender specialists, development practitioners and policymakers who are interested in 'gender and migration' issues.