New Books in Politics and Polemics

Cynthia Enloe, "Twelve Feminist Lessons of War" (U California Press, 2023)

May 4, 2025

Cynthia Enloe, a Research Professor at Clark University, discusses her new book, revealing how women's experiences during war are critical yet often overlooked. She argues that understanding these roles can shed light on broader societal issues like labor and political rights. Enloe emphasizes the significance of feminist lessons in contextualizing militarism and activism, showcasing the resilience of feminist voices from conflict zones such as Myanmar and Gaza. The conversation ultimately highlights the transformative potential of feminist perspectives in addressing and preventing war.

01:14:32

Episode guests

Cynthia Enloe

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Quick takeaways

Recognizing women's unique experiences and contributions during war reveals crucial insights into its broader impacts on society and gender dynamics.

Feminist activism plays a significant role in addressing wartime challenges and reshaping societal norms around militarization and gender roles.

Deep dives

Women's Experiences in War

The podcast emphasizes that women's experiences in war are often overlooked, which hinders a complete understanding of the conflict. By recognizing their roles and contributions, one can appreciate how warfare impacts different genders uniquely, influencing areas like domestic relationships, economic mobility, and political rights. For instance, the active participation of women in war challenges traditional narratives that focus solely on male soldiers. This acknowledgment can lead to more comprehensive strategies for conflict resolution and prevention.

Intro

2min

Exploring Women's Roles and Lessons in Wartime

3min

Awakening to Feminist Perspectives in Militarism

11min

The Dynamic Nature of Feminist Lessons

3min

Feminism and War: Voices from the Field

12min

Women, War, and Societal Expectations

35min

Global Perspectives on War and Feminist Resistance

3min

Exploring Feminism and Health Solutions

2min

Women's wars are not men's wars. This is the first lesson of Cynthias Enloe’s Twelve Feminist Lessons of War (U California Press, 2023): the lack of attention paid to women during war not only obscures their experiences but also prevents a full understanding of war and its effects. Wartime shapes women's lives and also the gendered politics of issues such as domestic relationships and childcare, labor and economic mobility, political rights and participation, violence, and much more. By paying attention to the lives of women during war, Enloe shows what women can teach us about war. And in Twelve Feminists Lessons of War it's not just the lessons about war themselves are feminist.

This book also tells lessons from feminist activists and how they have responded to war, whether it is being fought in their backyard or by their state's military tens of thousands of miles away. Drawn from insights gained during her long career researching and writing about women during war and the gendered politics of war, Enloe presents a dozen lessons to be learned about women's lives during war and how we can shorten or even prevent wars by paying attention to women's experiences.

Cynthia Enloe is Research Professor in the Department of International Development, Community and Environment at Clark University where she also has affiliations in the Women's and Gender Studies and Political Science departments. Professor Enloe researches, writes, and teaches about the politics of gender in the US and globally.

Resources mentioned during the episode: