
The Twelfth of February
Canadian Aid for Gender Equality during the Rise of Violent Extremism in Pakistan
Rhonda Gossen(Author)
McGill-Queen's University Press
Published on 15. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
276 pages
978-0-2280-2252-7 (ISBN)
Description
Pakistan has been a priority country for international development assistance since the early years of its creation. Though Pakistan celebrates National Women's Day on 12 February each year to commemorate the 1983 women's march, three decades of war in neighbouring Afghanistan have stoked violent extremism and constrained development gains and gender equality. Canada led the first global efforts to support women's rights and gender equality in the region.
The Twelfth of February tells the story of the Canadian International Development Agency's support for women's organizations and civil society in Pakistan. Rhonda Gossen traces the ebbs and flows of financial aid, drawing on her own unique experience as a development worker as well as compelling interviews with activists, non-governmental organizations, officials, and diplomats. She assesses how women's organizations work to resist violent extremism and makes the connection between gender inequality and security threats in a volatile region. Despite the influence of Islamic extremism, the gender equality movement in collaboration with civil society in Pakistan did make tangible headway.
The Twelfth of February addresses a problem that is all too timely: given violent extremism's devastating impact on development gains including women's rights, security , and the elimination of gender-based violence, what is the future role for international development?
The Twelfth of February tells the story of the Canadian International Development Agency's support for women's organizations and civil society in Pakistan. Rhonda Gossen traces the ebbs and flows of financial aid, drawing on her own unique experience as a development worker as well as compelling interviews with activists, non-governmental organizations, officials, and diplomats. She assesses how women's organizations work to resist violent extremism and makes the connection between gender inequality and security threats in a volatile region. Despite the influence of Islamic extremism, the gender equality movement in collaboration with civil society in Pakistan did make tangible headway.
The Twelfth of February addresses a problem that is all too timely: given violent extremism's devastating impact on development gains including women's rights, security , and the elimination of gender-based violence, what is the future role for international development?
Reviews / Votes
"The Twelfth of February provides a nuanced account of CIDA's gender equality efforts in support of Pakistani organizations, against the backdrop of women's rights struggles in the face of growing militancy. Gossen offers history as an inside story." Rehana Hashmi, activist-in-residence, Carleton University "Gossen's book is so powerful and novel because it draws on her on-the-ground experiences as a Canadian aid official to substantiate the claim that aid programs focusing on women's empowerment can help push back against violent extremism." Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute "Rhonda Gossen's account of CIDA's groundbreaking work on gender equality in Pakistan reveals the unhappy fact that development is not always linear. Here, she tackles the fraught nexus between culture and gender, showing how the Hobson's choice between security and development has long favoured the former." Ambassador Robin Raphel, former US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia "The Twelfth of February marries fine storytelling with scholarship, recounting decades of Canadian commitment to the aspirations of women and girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gossen portrays the crushing impact that religious extremism, born of conflict and nurtured by poverty, has had on the battle for these human rights. Her respect for local activists whose struggles have spanned decades shines through." Kathy Gannon, author of I is for Infidel: From Holy War to Holy Terror in Afghanistan "Gossen's excellent contribution to the development literature ... spotlights a growing body of research showing how gender inequality links to violent extremism and undermines stable societies." Janet Dunnett, Open Canada "A must-read for all those interested in how a few brave women took up the fight for their rights under the worst military dictatorship. They indeed put the issue of the legal challenge to the status of Pakistani women on the agenda of the global media. A number of western nations including Canada stepped forward to help them amplify their voices across the globe. In the ensuing decades international support built up the pressure that was needed to either discard certain laws, abolish discriminatory regulations, or at least erecting legal bars to their indiscriminate application on women. The Twelfth of February is an excellent compendium of Pakistani women's struggles for equal status as citizens." Imtiaz Gul, Pakistan Center for Research & Security Studies "Most interesting to me in this book is the conclusion Gossen draws: how a gender lens on security, development and diplomacy can help combat forces threatening human rights and democracy." Margaret Huber, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Policy Magazine "The Twelfth of February describes the work of a small army of very brave women and civil society organizations in leading the struggle for justice and change in Pakistan." FORUM: The Bulletin of the Canadian Foreign Service Alumni ForumMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
21 photos, 3 diagrams, 1 map
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
408 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-2280-2252-7 (9780228022527)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Rhonda Gossen
The Twelfth of February
Canadian Aid for Gender Equality during the Rise of Violent Extremism in Pakistan
E-Book
09/2024
1st Edition
McGill-Queen's University Press
€42.99
Available for download

Rhonda Gossen
The Twelfth of February
Canadian Aid for Gender Equality during the Rise of Violent Extremism in Pakistan
E-Book
09/2024
1st Edition
McGill-Queen's University Press
€42.99
Available for download
Person
Rhonda Gossen is a former Canadian diplomat and Canadian International Development Agency manager and consultant to the United Nations.