Debating Gender Justice in Asia (Penerbit USM)

Book excerpt: This volume aims to provide critical and current materials on gender justice in Asia; a very much needed conversations given how much the region is integrated globally, and is rapidly changing economically and geo-politically. Shaped very much by economic, political and social development in the region, women’s condition and position in Asia, have seen marked improvements, but underlying the chapters are also inquiries into the slow and hampered progress towards Asian women achieving substantive justice and equality. The significance of the debates and discussions presented here is that they are the results of research-based efforts by gender academics and activists of all stages and levels of expertise across the Asian region. They seek to make sense of different contexts of continued gender-based discrimination and injustice that women face. In the discourse setting, the author stresses the importance of understanding gender justice as integral to both macro- and micro-economic, and social policies. The other chapters delve into interrogating indigenous feminisms as resistance, reinforcing the emerging knowledge that feminism exists in all cultural contexts; issues of low female labour force participation and the need to recognize the informal sector as work; violence against women with a focus on attitudes towards intimate partner violence, as well interrogating the link between empowerment and microcredit. The other chapters look at women in politics from the perspective of democratization process among grassroots women in Indonesia, and the muslimat in Malaysia. Given that Asia is a hotbed for migration, three chapters cover interestingly different groups of women from differing perspectives. The volume is, therefore, of great utility to academics, activists, students and policy makers alike in providing a fresh outlook in dealing with gender justice issues in Asia.