Triumph over tragedy: International pressure, women\u27s movements, and empowerment in post-conflict states

In spite of the devastating effects of civil wars on women\u27s human rights, an emerging body of literature links civil wars to improved outcomes in a few specific areas of women\u27s empowerment, such as political representation and employment. But why do some post-conflict states show improvements in women\u27s empowerment while others do not? Using a quantitative analysis and a qualitative analysis, this study shows that the interaction between international actors and domestic women\u27s movements accounts for variation in women\u27s empowerment in post-conflict states. Using an original dataset of 45 low-income and middle-low-income countries, this study shows states that experience civil war are distinctive in their changes in women\u27s empowerment compared to countries that have not experienced internal armed conflict. The quantitative analysis also finds that the interaction between foreign direct assistance and the presence of a domestic women\u27s movement, and factors such as social and cultural institutions have a significant and positive impact on women\u27s empowerment. The qualitative analysis, based on four post-conflict cases—Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, and Afghanistan—also shows that the interaction between international actors and strong and autonomous women\u27s movements accounts for variation in women\u27s empowerment. This study suggests that efforts to advance women\u27s empowerment need to be cognizant of the effects of these international and domestic factors