Introduction: Voicing Demands: Feminist Activism in Transitional Contexts

This introductory chapter provides a brief discussion on conceptual debates on voice and the assumptions that the authors interrogate using empirical evidence. The broader contexts within which feminist activism and voice are organised are discussed. It focuses on the various influences on feminist activism: NGOisation/ professionalisation ; increase in transnational networks and links; rise of conservative forces; creation of participatory/democratic spaces; increase in donor’s epistemic power to shape feminist agenda; and how these have influenced feminist voice in the selected countries.

It also raises questions about the current feminist analysis of these trends. Remaining sections analyse the empirical evidence presented in the chapters on: the politics of organising and channeling feminist voice, questions around voice and representation in feminist activism. The last section comments on how the empirical evidence challenges the assumptions about the relationship between voice, agency and constituency building.