Playing the State

For some years feminist across the world have been gaining more of a foothold in national and local governments. Their presence has started an important debate about the rules, and feminist ethics, of engaging with the state. The first section of the text suggests new ways of thinking about the state. 'Official Feminism' is the subject of the second section, which includes accounts of women in trade unions, in industry, and in the legal arena. Finally, the book looks at the tensions between autonomy and state subsidy, the potential for reform from within, and the role of feminists in cultural production such as theatre and television. These provocative essays by both activists and academics provide a challenging assessment of the practical implications of feminist intervention in systems of power, and have an immediate relevance to feminism worldwide.