Women and Borders: Refugees, Migrants and Communities

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Description

Borders - whether settled or contested, violent or calm, closed or open - may have a direct, and often acute, human impact. Those affected may be people living nearby, those attempting to cross them and even those who succeed in doing so. At the border, vulnerable refugee and migrant communities, especially women, are exposed to state-centred boundary practices, paving the way for both their alienation and exploitation. The militarization of borders subjugates the very position of women in these marginalized areas and often subjects them to further victimization, which is facilitated by patriarchal socio-cultural practice. Structural violence is endemic to these regions and gender interlocks with their perimeters to reinforce and shape violence. This book locates gender and violence along geographical edges and critically examines the gendered experiences of women as global border residents and border crossers. Broadly, it explores two questions. First, what are women's experiences of engaging with borders Second, where are women positioned in the theory and practice of marking, remarking and demarking these margins Offering a nuanced and thorough approach, this book suggests that research on borders and violence needs to focus on how bordered violence shapes the embodiment of gender identity and norms and how they are challenged. It examines an array of issues including forced migration, trafficking and cross-border ties to explore how gender and borders intersect.

Reviews

`Borders affect all sections of the population, with multiple consequences for vulnerable sections, particularly women. The state-centered bordering practices are highly restricting and even discriminatory, targeting women in specific ways. The engagement of women with the borders, contested or even settled, hence can be highly exploitative; leading to victimization and alienation. The border regions are highly violence-prone to women residing nearby, while crossing or even after the crossing. This book, focusing on the intersection of gender and border also with relevant case studies such as refugees and migrants, brings in the forefront a highly relevant issue of concern for academics, practitioners as well as policymakers. Through examining an array of related issues, developing further the innovative concept of 'gendered borders', the volume is certainly a great addition to the existing literature on the issue.' - Padraig O'Malley, John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston

Author Bio

Seema Shekhawat is a Political Scientist with a PhD on the intersection of gender, conflict and displacement. She has researched and taught at the Universities of Jammu and Mumbai, India and is the author of Gender, Conflict and Peace in Kashmir and editor of Female Combatants in Conflict and Peace. Emanuela C. Del Re is Professor of Political Sociology at the University Niccolo Cusano in Rome. She is the chair and founder of EPOS International Mediating and Negotiating Operational Agency and creator of MY FUTURE project for the Syrian Refugees funded by the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry and by the European Commission. Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra is a social scientist with a PhD in conflict resolution from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He received the Scholar of Peace Award (New Delhi) in 2007 and Kodikara Award for Young South Asian Researcher (Colombo) in 2010. Dr. Mahapatra has published extensively on issues related to conflict and peace. He is the author of Conflict Management in Kashmir and editor of Conflict and Peace in Eurasia.