Women and Politics of Peace

Rita Manchanda is an established writer, scholar-researcher, and human rights activist specializing in conflicts and peace-building in South Asia with particular attention to vulnerable and marginalized groups, that is, women, minorities, indigenous peoples, and forcibly displaced persons.Professor Manchanda has over 15 years of experience as a Senior Executive and Research Director with the regional NGO “South Asia Forum for Human Rights” (SAFHR), directing and coordinating a diverse portfolio of programs, including “Human Rights Audits of Peace Processes,” “Women, Conflict, and Peace,” “Media in Conflict,” and “Rights-based Approaches to Poverty Reduction.” Also, during the last decade and a half, she had been the gender advisor, Commonwealth Technical Fund (2004–05), and consultant in projects with UN Women (2010–11, 2012– 13, 2014), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2014–15), Centre for Humanitarian Dialogues (2011, 2012), and SAFERWORLD (2015, 2016). She has lectured on conflict resolution at Rotary Centre for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chulalongkorn University (2014), Welthungerhilfe (WHH; 2014), Lady Shri Ram College (2008–16), and SAFHR: Human Rights and Peace Orientation Course (2000–08). Her more recent publication SAGE Series in Human Rights Audits of Peace Processes undertaken by SAFHR and published by SAGE (2015), is a field-based audit study of peace-making in Northeast (India), Balochistan (Pakistan), Madhesh (Nepal), and Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh). Among her many books and articles are Women War and Peace in South Asia: Beyond Victimhood to Agency, a pioneering study on feminist theorizing and praxis on conflict and peace-building (SAGE 2001), and Naga Women in the Peace Process (SAGE 2004).

• AcknowledgementsINTRODUCTION - Rita ManchandaPart I : WOMEN, PARTICIPATION AND PEACEBUILDINGPeace with Women: Political Participation in Post Conflict Contexts - Swarna RajagopalanGender, Power and Peace Politics: A Comparative Analysis - Rita ManchandaParticipant Analysis and Field NotesHerstory: Women and Peace Movements in South Asia - Roshmi Goswami, Kumudini Samuel, Nighat Said KhanBuilding Transversal Solidarities: Women’s Search for Peace in Sri Lanka - Kumudini SamuelPart II MILITRIZATION AND VIOLENT PEACEMilitarization Values, Attitudes and Practices in South Asia - Anuradha ChenoyParticipant Analysis and Field NotesGender and Patriarchy in Militarized Kashmir - Anuradha Bhasin JamwalRisky Subjects: Militarization in Post-war Sri Lanka - Neloufer de MelViolent Peace in Chittagong Hill Tracts - Hana Shams AhmedFailed Peace and Security Strategies in Afghanistan’s Transition - Huma SafiWhat Happened to Nepal’s Women Maoists? - Bishnu Raj Upreti and Gita ShreshtaFATA ‘A Permanent War Zone’: Breaking the Silence - Noreen NaseerPart III JUSTICE, IMPUNITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITYChallenges for Transitional Justice in South Asia - Warisha FarasatParticipant Analysis and Field NotesField NotesAgainst Forgetting: Gendered Justice in ‘Post-conflict’ Bangladesh - Dina M SiddiqiBeyond Transitional Justice: Accountability Initiatives in Nepal - Mandira SharmaNo Peace without Justice in Afghanistan - Najla AyoubiState Intervention to Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka - Bhavani FonsekaIndex

The book is a valuable contribution to the academic literature, especially researchers in women and peace studies. The bibliography after each article is extensive which shows that all the articles have been well researched and written.