Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations ─ Challenging or maintaining the status quo?

Women are at the heart of civil society organizations (CSOs) that challenge oppressive practices at a local and global level and develop outstanding entrepreneurial activities. Yet CSO research tends to ignore considerations of gender, and the rich history of activist feminist organizations is rarely examined. This collection corrects that oversight, exploring the nexus between the emancipation of women and their roles in CSOs. Featuring contrasting, international studies from a wide range of contributors, it covers emerging issues such as the role of social media in organizing, the significance of religion in many cultural contexts, activism in Eastern Europe, and the impact of environmental degradation on women’s lives. Asking whether involvement in CSOs offers a potential source of emancipation for women or maintains the status quo, this book will have an impact on both equal-opportunity policy and practice.

Christina Schwabenland is a reader in public and voluntary sector management at the University of Bedfordshire.Chris Lange is currently engaged in nonprofit management and social work of a faith-based organization in Beirut, Lebanon. She is cofounder of the Affinity Group of Gender of the International Society for Third-Sector Research.Sachiko Nakagawa researches social enterprise and social inclusion, focusing on work integration social enterprises for the disabled.Jenny Onyx is professor of community management in the Business School and codirector of the Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Research Centre at the University Technology Sydney.