The Twelfth of February

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 Forum