Twelve feminist lessons of war, by Cynthia Enloe

Abstract

This article examines the scholarly contributions of Cynthia Enloe, a prominent political science and women’s studies professor, renowned for her feminist analysis of war and conflict. It focuses on her seminal work, Bananas, Beaches and Bases (1990), which critically examines the gendered dimensions of warfare and challenges the male-centric frameworks of international relations. Additionally, the article engages with Enloe’s most recent publication, Twelve Feminist Lessons of War (2023), in which she explores the pervasive sexual violence and gender inequalities women experience in wartime. Enloe’s scholarship advocates for the inclusion of feminist perspectives in global policy-making, emphasizing the importance of women's participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction.