Domestic Violence in Postcommunist States: Local Activism, National Policies, and Global Forces

Domestic violence has emerged as a significant public policy issue of transnational character and mobilization in the postcommunist era in Europe and Eurasia, as global forces have interacted with the agendas of governments, local and international women's groups, and human rights activists. The result of extensive collaboration among scholars and activist-practitioners--many from postcommunist countries--this volume examines the development of state policies, changes in public perceptions, and the interaction of national and international politics.

"An interesting and important book... with a rare combination of rigor and nuance." --S. Laurel Weldon, author of Protest, Policy, and the Problem of Violence Against Women: A Cross-National Comparison Indiana University Press

"The question presents itself often for feminist theorists living in Eastern Europe: how to deal with the politicization of domestic violence... in postcommunist societies where second-wave feminism was missing. By addressing the role of domestic and international actors in politicizing violence against women and thus achieving an important goal of second-wave feminism, this book represents an important answer.

The essays included in the volume... are written from many disciplinary perspectives: history, economics, politics, sociology, cultural anthropology, public policy and gender analysis. An impressive bibliographic resource for scholars belonging to these fields, the essays are also highly relevant for political scientists." --Perspectives on Politics

"This edited volume... is a welcome addition to the still scarce literature on violence against women in postcommunist states. The contributing authors... deftly dwell on a unique combination of knowledge of the topic and expertise on the region to develop highly informatvie case studies.... The richness and novelty of the case studies included in this volume make it an exciting read." --Anthropology of East Europe Review

"Domestic Violence in Postcommunist States is significant in bringing together nuanced studies from different countries and offering the so far most comprehensive picture of local and transnational activism, as well as the development of state policies, on domestic violence in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia." --Aspasia

"A welcome and comprehensive collection of excellent studies on the politics of domestic violence.... These scholars are among the best writing on the topic, and they provide nuanced, sophisticated accounts." --Nanette Funk, City University of New York, Brooklyn College Indiana University Press

"[T]his book offers excellent insight into different aspects of developing domestc violence policies..." --Women's Studies International Forum

"This important study of the origins and evolution of activism and policies in postcommunist countries around the problem of violence against women also has the advantage of being an integrated and well-written edited volume. Katalin Fábián... introduces the topic in a superb introduction, contributes two essays... and ensures conceptual and methodological coherence across the chapters." --SLAVIC REVIEW

"By providing detailed analyses of domestic violence policies in different national contexts and how they have been shaped by various global forces, this volume constitutes a valuable source for everyone interested in transnational activism, violence, and the politicization of gender." --The Russian Review Indiana University Press

Katalin Fábián is Associate Professor of Government and Law at Lafayette College. She is author of Contemporary Women's Movements in Hungary: Globalization, Democracy, and Gender Equality and editor of Globalization: Perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe.

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction: The Politics of Domestic Violence in Postcommunist Europe and Eurasia / Katalin Fábián

Part 1. The Development of Domestic Violence Policy in Postcommunist States

2. Transnational Advocacy Campaigns and Domestic Violence Prevention in Ukraine / Alexandra Hrycak

3. Global Feminism, Foreign Funding, and Russian Writing about Domestic Violence / Janet Elise Johnson and Gulnara Zaynullina

4. Balancing Acts: Women's NGOs Combating Domestic Violence in Kazakhstan / Edward Snajdr

5. From Soviet Liberation to Post-Soviet Segregation: Women and Violence in Tajikistan / Muborak Sharipova and Katalin Fábián

6. The Politics of Awareness: Making Domestic Violence Visible in Poland / Thomas Chivens

7. Domestic Violence against Women: When Practice Creates Legislation in Slovenia / Sonja Robnik

Part 2. International Organizations and Domestic Violence Policy in Postcommunist States

8. Reframing Domestic Violence: Global Networks and Local Activism in Postcommunist Central and Eastern Europe / Katalin Fábián

9. The New WAVE: How Transnational Feminist Networks Promote Domestic Violence Reform in Postcommunist Europe / Laura Brunell and Janet Elise Johnson

10. The European Union, Transnational Advocacy, and Violence Against Women in Postcommunist States / Celeste Montoya

11. The Promise and Perils of International Treaties / Olga Avdeyeva

Appendix

Contributors

Index