History of Women in War - Annotated Bibliography Example

Women in War Annotated Bibliography Basarudin, A. & Shaikh, K. (2003). Voices of Resistance: Two Iraqi Women Speak Out: Azza Basarudin and Khanum Shaikh Interview Amal Al-Khedairy and Nermin Al-Mufti. The Middle East Women’s Studies Review, 18(3-4), 1+ Amal Al-Khedairy and Nermin Al-Mufti are direct witnesses of the effect of the U.S. military invasion of Iraq on women. They were infuriated by atrocities perpetrated against the people of Iraq and were resolute to protest against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Determined that Iraq’s invasion should stop, they argue that the international community should be actively involved in the rebuilding of their nation. Al-Khedairy is a scholar in the history and culture of Iraq, while Al-Mufti is a widely acclaimed Iraqi correspondent. With her exceptional understanding of political, economic, and social history of Iraq, Al-Mufti creates essays on war and women. The interview with them revealed all the disastrous, agonizing experiences of Iraqi women during and after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. They showed how women are continuously victimized during conflict. This article is useful for it presents an actual look at the experiences of two Iraqi women with war. (2) Cassin-Scott, J. (1980). Women at War, 1939-45. UK: Osprey Publishing. Even though the historical development of journalism comprises women’s names who greatly contributed to the field, the literature that talks about the achievements of women in journalism is very few and narrow. However, as shown in this book, only a passing introduction to the facts about any of these women would suggest that female journalists have constantly been a powerful entity in the field. Several efforts have been initiated to discuss the remarkable inputs of women to journalism. Although these are trustworthy and thought-provoking, they only mention the milestones of women’s involvement in journalism. A particular area of women’s participation in journalism that exposes itself to thorough analysis includes war journalists. The author argues that war did not essentially form a woman journalist but provided greater, better opportunities for women in the field of journalism. This book is valuable for it explains how female war correspondents risked their lives in hostile territories just to get the latest information and inform the world about current happenings. (3) Curtiss, R. (1993). Special Report: Women’s Rights an Affair of State for Tunisia. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, XII(3), 50. Gender equality in employment, education, and civil rights is a political fact that influences all levels of society and life in Tunisia. The country’s secretary of state to the prime minister tasked to address issues in families’ and women’s lives, Dr. Nebiha Gueddana, makes all the necessary effort to strengthen gender equality within the government and all sectors of the Tunisian society. The author discusses the connections between the inferiority of women and Islamic legal rules. He discusses the internal reasoning of political structures, demonstrating how the various foundations on which Tunisia is built have distinct repercussions for women’s rights, especially women’s role during conflict. The author argues that women should be actively engaged in the political process of war for they are one of the sectors that are mostly affected by conflict. This government report is useful because it discusses the legal codes that pertain to women’s rights and involvement in conflict. (4) Elshtain, J.B. (1987). Women and War. London: University of Chicago Press. The topic of this book, at first glance, may appear simple, direct, and obvious—about women and war. The book is indeed about women and war, but the author Jean Elshtain discusses it in light of the historic knowledge of Western politics. She explores how the woman as a delicate creature and the man as a brave fighter work to reconstruct and establish the social status of women as mere ‘civilians’. She shows how such perception of women’s role, characteristic, and ability are weakened by the fact of female aggression and willingness to sacrifice. The author is not interested in traditional histories or beginnings; instead, she is interested in discussing women’s involvement in war as a mother, a civilian, and a political thinker. This book is useful because of its radical examination of women’s role in society as regards their ability to take part in armed conflict. Women are seen here as men’s equals. (5) Frank, L.T. (2013). An Encyclopedia of American Women at War. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. The author focuses on the issue of women working in the U.S. military. In the past and present American society, political leaders and others at times criticize the gendered significance of the repercussions for the nation if women were to be combatants, imprisoned, or killed in war. The facts and threats have evolved over time, but detractors of equality between men and women in the military have constantly expressed worries about the weakening of unit solidarity with the participation of women. In the United States, the accomplishments, failures, and grandeur of war are customarily attributed to men. Nevertheless, women have been an essential, vital component of the nation’s military history. This encyclopedia examines the successes, failures, and feats of women in the different conflicts wherein the U.S. has been involved. The author explains the evolution of women’s status, experiences, and positions as nurses, combatants, and leaders. This encyclopedia is valuable because it demonstrates women’s involvement in war and in the process of making decisions about conflicts. (6) Journal of International Affairs (2013). Congo: No Peace Without Women: An Interview with Denis Mukwege. Journal of International Affairs, 67(1), 205+ Dr. Mukwege is a Congolese doctor who witnessed the cruelties endured by women in the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This article is an interview with Dr. Mukwege. He shared in this interview his horrific experiences in DRC as a physician and the unspeakable cruelties inflicted on women he personally witnessed. He openly criticized the international community for its failure to put an end to these cruelties. He helped those women who were brutally raped and sexually harassed in a society shattered by an enduring conflict. It was mentioned in the article that roughly 500,000 women have suffered brutal sexual violence in DRC since 1996. In this interview, Dr. Mukwege revealed everything he knows, his opinions, and his view of women’s role in times of crisis or conflict. He said that women should be given influence or the right to participate in all levels of the peace process. This article is relevant for it talks about the importance of women in all stages of the peace process. (7) Kaufman, J. & Williams, K. (2010). Women and War: Gender Identity and Activism in Times of Conflict. New York: Kumarian Press. This book primarily discusses the effect of the wars on women, particularly in Yugoslavia. The authors also delve into the issue of how nationalism and citizenship is becoming gendered, or how women are becoming politicized in societies at war. They discover that even though hostility and war impact women strongly, they are usually ignored in the decision-making process that results in political hostility. They also find out that although women were helpful in the peace process, they usually did not take part in the formal political system after the war. Basically, the authors explore the general issue of women’s status and experiences, especially their experiences during wars, their way of responding to their political status, and their standing when the war concluded. This book is valuable for it discusses how women are disregarded in the political decision-making that eventually lead to conflict or war, and the fact that stereotypes about women continue to relegate them at the lower rungs of societal value. (8) Normal, E. (2011). Women at War: The Story of Fifty Military Nurses Who Served in Vietnam. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. As the title of the book indicates, it is about military nurses who worked in Vietnam. The author found out that there is almost no literature written about these military nurses who risked their lives working in Vietnam, and so she took the pains of writing a dissertation about these brave, exceptional women. The author claims that she does not have any political or personal interest in the subject, only a firm motivation to give voice to the stories of these military nurses in Vietnam that seemed to be forgotten. The author narrates the intense, emotional tales of fifty military nurses who served throughout the Vietnam War. In this book the women revealed the reason they participated in the war, their tragic experiences, and the war’s impact on their spiritual, emotional, and physical being. This book is useful for it provides a first-hand, vivid account of the experiences of military nurses in Vietnam, who, as the author claims, are largely ignored in the literature. (9) Weatherford, D. (2010). American Women During World War II: An Encyclopedia. London: Routledge. This encyclopedia recounts graphically all features of conflicts and wars, especially women’s involvement in them. Readers will be introduced to the perspective of women of war as leaders and combatants. World War II is the main topic due to its historic significance to the subject of women and war. This book presents a documentary of the experiences and lives of women who took part in the war through semi-official and official military groups, and the huge number of women who served in various industries, such as manufacturing and aircraft maintenance. It also explains how the conflict transformed women’s lives. Other sections talk about the institutional transformation, as the conflict influence all features of human organizations, such as religion, health, and education. This encyclopedia is relevant because it provides a thorough documentation of the actual experiences of women who were involved in armed conflicts in different places and periods. (10) Wise, J. & Baron, S. (2006). Women at War: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Conflicts. New York: Naval Institute Press. This book is comprised of a series of narratives, and interviews, about American women who have participated in and keep on serving in the global war against terrorism. The insurrection in Iraq has transformed the discourse about women in war into triviality. The authors claim that women in every military operation are take part in the war as combatant, transport pilots, and bomber; as health care providers; and as crew members. Women in war are often involved in armed combat against enemies while securing equipment, passing through hostile zones, or carrying out military functions and other important support roles. Similar to the men in such wars, many women have been seriously injured and killed. They keep on performing their tasks with willpower and remarkable audacity. This book is valuable because it provides first-hand accounts of the women who took part in the global war on terror. This book is all about women’s perspective of war. Summary Women and war are two very different concepts, almost incompatible by tradition. But past and present realities of women participation in conflict reveal that the combat zone is not exclusive for men. Women are still viewed as the ‘weaker’, ‘fragile’ sex, and such perceptions relegate them to inferior, subordinate positions. They are not granted opportunities to assume roles that are traditionally given to men. However, as shown by the different authors discussed in this paper, women have been very vital in times of conflict. They served as combatants, nurses, leaders, and journalists. Unfortunately, women are ignored in the process of making decisions concerning conflicts in spite of the fact that they are the ones who are seriously victimized during war. Women suffered atrocities in several conflict-ridden countries, such as Iraq, Domestic Republic of Congo, and Vietnam. The authors therefore call for women’s equal participation in the political decision-making process leading to conflict or war. Read More