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Citizenship, Civil Society and Gender Mainstreaming: Complexities of Political Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe

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Women’s Citizenship and Political Rights

Part of the book series: Women’s Rights in Europe Series ((WRE))

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with the opportunities for and constraints on the achievement of gender equitable political participation in Central and Eastern Europe.1 I propose to focus on three areas, all of which illustrate the complexity of the issues at stake, the varying pace and scope of change, and some of the factors influencing these changes. The three areas for discussion are:

  • the context of social, economic and political transformation across the region of former state socialist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe;

  • contestations about the most pertinent analytical framework for theorising the current situation;

  • debates concerning the optimal strategies for the achievement of gender equitable outcomes.

The mission of building gender-inclusive democracies is far from being fulfilled. … We must ensure that women’s voices are a vital part of global politics. Simply put, if women are excluded from democracy, democracy fails.

(Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, 2002: 7)

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Authors
  1. Barbara Einhorn
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Global Ethics, University of Birmingham, UK

    Sirkku K. Hellsten

  2. Department of Political Science, University of Helsinki, Finland

    Anne Maria Holli

  3. Sofia University, Bulgaria

    Krassimira Daskalova (Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences) (Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences)

Copyright information

© 2006 Barbara Einhorn

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Einhorn, B. (2006). Citizenship, Civil Society and Gender Mainstreaming: Complexities of Political Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. In: Hellsten, S.K., Holli, A.M., Daskalova, K. (eds) Women’s Citizenship and Political Rights. Women’s Rights in Europe Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230502901_5

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