Women and Democracy

This study explores the political experiences of women in two regions of the world - Latin America and Eastern and Central Europe - which have moved from authoritarian to democratic regimes. At first, the roles and attitudes of the women appear to be similar, but the book makes the case that the differences are notable. In Latin America, the women are much more politicized and well-organized in their efforts to obtain rights, recognition and equity. In contrast, the women of former communist societies in Eastern and Central Europe, as if disenchanted by their years under an ideology which promoted equality for women, prefer instead to seek more traditional women's roles and avoid the public arena. Examining the various political attitudes and efforts of women as they learn to participate in the political process, the contributors offer insights into democratic consolidation in general and point to the need for greater attention to the role of women in political processes. The book goes on to consider how women responded to the opportunities presented by democratic transition in quite different social and political contexts.
By considering different ways that women have understood and responded to their options, the book seeks to help readers understand the highly contextualized ways that "what women want" is mediated.