Deadline: March 15, 2025
CFP for an Edited Collection
Questions can be sent to womeninwarandrevolution@gmail.com.
Overview and Scope
The present volume explores the intersection of political, economic, and gender dynamics in the post-Soviet space, focusing on the challenges faced by women as newly independent states redefine their identities while navigating Russia’s sustained imperial ambitions and its newly redefined spheres of influence. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many former Soviet republics faced persistent political and economic instability. The dissolution, although relatively peaceful overall, was marked by violent conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Georgia, and Ukraine which resulted in significant bloodshed and displacement. In other parts of the newly independent states, there were less bloody encounters and tensions, though political instability and ethnic conflicts were widespread. These conflicts have led to immense human suffering, displacement, and economic turmoil.
Amid these turbulent times, the newly formed independent states began reassessing their gender policies, particularly with regard to the Soviet-era doctrine of women’s emancipation and gender equality (Ashwin 2000, Gradskova & Asztalos Morell 2018). Gender was a key organizing principle in the Soviet system, shaping the roles and responsibilities of its citizens. Under this system, women were predominantly viewed as worker-mothers, serving both the state and the collective by fulfilling roles in the workforce and reproducing culture (Kotovskaya 2004). However, the end of the Soviet Union prompted a re-evaluation of gender relations that was complicated by the political, social, and economic upheavals which followed.
In many post-Soviet states, the transitions following independence reinforced patriarchal structures, reduced women’s participation in political and social spheres, and reasserted traditional gender roles (Laycock 2009, Balzer 2021). As revolutions, invasions, internal conflicts, and war shaped the political landscape, redefining gender roles became even more challenging. The persistence of these gender dynamics, alongside ongoing geopolitical struggles and Russia’s efforts to reassert control, has created a complex environment where gender, national identity, and power intersect. In this context, women’s roles are particularly multifaceted as they navigate both internal patriarchal systems and external pressures from conflicts and Russia’s imperial ambitions.
Studies on women in the transitional societies of post-Soviet countries have explored the Soviet legacy on gender relations and have generally observed that transition processes have led to the reinforcement of patriarchy and subsequently to lower representation of women in political and social life (Rueschemeyer 1994, Galligan et al. 2007, Gradskova & Asztalos Morell 2018, Ziemer 2020, Cavoukian & Shahnazaryan 2019). Scholars have written about the development of women’s agency and participation in politics (Ohanyan 2009, Ziemer 2020, Krebs 2020, Aliyeva 2020), the influence of religion on policies and values related to gender roles (Rekhviashvili 2010, Duderija 2016), NGO activism on the adoption of EU gender policies (Gvianishvili 2020), media and film representations of changing gender roles and identities in the region (Curro 2020), failures in feminist educational practices (Tastanbekova 2018), and the adoption of neoliberal rhetoric concerning normative masculinity (Tereškinas 2018). While existing scholarship often implicitly reflects on state policies and their implications for the citizenship and private lives of women, few studies have explicitly addressed how state policies and political actions influence women’s private, social, and political lives in contemporary post-Soviet societies.
Focus Areas for Contributions
The proposed edited volume takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from rhetorical, sociological, anthropological and historical analysis, and from other disciplines. From the enduring legacies of Soviet rule to contemporary conflicts and post-conflict reconstruction efforts, we seek contributors who analyze the complex intersections of gender dynamics, political instability, and socio-economic disparities. Recognizing the diversity of women’s experiences, the proposed edited collection research aims to move beyond mainstream narratives and encompass a wide range of women’s perspectives, including those of women from rural and marginalized communities. More specifically, we invite submissions on former Soviet states that explore women and gender politics in conflicts, wars, and revolutions, that may address, but are not limited to, the following questions and issues:
- How have women in post-Soviet states navigated the complex intersections of gender, national identity, and geopolitical struggles during periods of armed conflict, war, and revolution, and what role have they played in these processes?
- In what ways has the reassertion of traditional gender roles in post-Soviet states, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, been influenced or reinforced by the ongoing conflicts and Russia’s efforts to maintain regional hegemony?
- How have women from rural and marginalized communities in post-Soviet states experienced the dual pressures of internal patriarchal systems and external geopolitical conflicts, and what strategies have they employed to resist or adapt to these challenges?
- What impact have violent conflicts and territorial struggles in post-Soviet states had on women’s political participation and social roles, and how have women contributed to post-conflict reconstruction and the rebuilding of national identities?
- How has post-Soviet economic marginalization affected women’s agency, particularly regarding the feminization of transnational mobilities, labor migrations, and new realities of paid care work?
- How do the gendered experiences of women in post-Soviet conflicts reflect broader postcolonial power dynamics, particularly in relation to the legacy of Soviet rule and the ongoing struggles for sovereignty and independence from imperial influences?
- How do women’s reflections on Soviet-era stability and post-Soviet uncertainties reveal the complexities of identity, nostalgia, and power dynamics in shaping their roles within conflict and revolution in the post-Soviet space?
- How have women in post-Soviet states navigated the complex intersections of gender, national identity, and geopolitical struggles during periods of armed conflict, war, and revolution, and what roleroles have they played in these processes?
- In what ways has the reassertion of traditional gender roles in post-Soviet states, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, been influenced or reinforced by the ongoing conflicts and Russia’s efforts to maintain regional hegemony?
- How have women from rural and marginalized communities in post-Soviet states experienced the dual pressures of internal patriarchal systems and external geopolitical conflicts, and what strategies have they employed to resist or adapt to these challenges?
- What impact have violent conflicts and territorial struggles in post-Soviet states had on women’s political participation and social roles, and how have women contributed to post-conflict reconstruction and the rebuilding of national identities?
- How has post-Soviet economic marginalization affected women’s agency, particularly regarding the feminization of transnational mobilities, labor migrations, and new realities of paid care work?
- How do the gendered experiences of women in post-Soviet conflicts reflect broader postcolonial power dynamics, particularly concerning relation to the legacy of Soviet rule and the ongoing struggles for sovereignty and independence from imperial influences?
- How do women’s reflections on Soviet-era stability and post-Soviet uncertainties reveal the complexities of identity, nostalgia, and power dynamics in shaping their roles within conflict and revolution in the post-Soviet space?
- How does the figure of a woman warrior/fighter challenge and subvert the foundational ideologies of ‘strong man’ culture while simultaneously undermining authoritarian discourses and power structures?
Publisher Information
We are in advanced discussions with several reputable academic publishers. We will submit the full book proposal with already selected chapters in May 2025.
Submission Guidelines
In your proposal please include the following:
- A Curriculum Vitae
- A 500-750-word proposal that includes:
- A clear statement of purpose that answers how you see your chapter addressing the collection’s overarching theme and one or two specific question(s)
- Explanation for how your contribution is important for both a local audience and a wider international readership
- Description of the method and reasoning for its choice
- Background scholarship that situates the argument/contribution within a discipline-specific or interdisciplinary research landscape and shows engagement with previous research.
Final manuscripts, including references and footnotes, should not exceed 8,000 words. Final submissions will be both editorially reviewed and peer reviewed.
Collection Co-editors:
As a group of scholars specializing in History, Anthropology, and Rhetoric, we bring years of international experience in teaching, publishing, and presenting our work on gender in post-Soviet and Eastern European contexts. Our expertise spans women’s and gender studies, postcolonial theory, and Soviet and post-Soviet history, with a strong focus on interdisciplinary research and critical scholarship across multiple academic fields.
Hasmik Khalapyan, Associate Professor of History, American University of Armenia
Elitza Kotzeva, Assistant Professor of English, American University of Armenia
Nona Shahnazaryan, Associate Researcher in Anthropology, National Academy of Sciences, Armenia
Estimated Timeline
- Chapter proposals deadline: Friday, March 15, 2025. Please submit to: womeninwarandrevolution@gmail.com
- Acceptance notification: Sunday, April 13, 2025
- Full chapter submission: Sunday, June 29, 2025
References
Aliyeva, Y. G. (2020). Exploring Two Generations of Women Activists in Azerbaijan: Between Feminism and a Post-Soviet Locality. In U. Ziemer (Ed.), Women’s Everyday Lives in War and Peace in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ashwin, Sarah. (2000). Gender, State, and Society in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. Routledge.
Balzer, M. M. (2021). Galvanizing nostalgia?: Indigeneity and sovereignty in Siberia. Cornell University Press.
Beukian, S. (2014). Motherhood as Armenianness: Expressions of Femininity in the Making of Armenian National Identity. Studies In Ethnicity & Nationalism, 14(2), 247–269.
Cavoukian, K., & Shahnazaryan, N. (2019). Armenia: Persistent Gender Stereotypes. In S. Franceschet , Krook, Mona Lena,, Tan, Netina, (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Women’s Political Rights (pp. 729–743). Palgrave Macmillan.
Curro, C. (2020). ‘Supra Is Not for Women’: Hospitality Practices as a Lens on Gender and Social Change in Georgia. In U. Ziemer (Ed.), Women’s Everyday Lives in War and Peace in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan.
Duderija, A. (2016). The Custom (ʿurf) Based Assumptions Regarding Gender Roles and Norms in the Islamic Tradition: A Critical Examination. Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, 45(4), 581–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008429815596549
Galligan, Yvonne, Clavero, Sara, & Calloni, Marina. (2007). Gender Politics and Democracy in Post-Socialist Europe. Barbara Budrich Publishers.
Gradskova, I., & Asztalos Morell, I. (2018). Gendering Postsocialism: Old Legacies and New Hierarchies. Routledge.
Gvianishvili, N. (2020). Invisible Battlefield: How the Politicization of LGBT Issues Affects the Visibility of LBT Women in Georgia. In U. Ziemer (Ed.), Women’s everyday lives in war and peace in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kotovskaya, M. G. (2004). Gendernye Ocherki: Istoriya, sovremennost, fakty. Rossiyskaya Akademiya Nauk.
Krebs, M. (2020). Women as Bearers of Modernity and Tradition. In U. Ziemer (Ed.), Women’s Everyday Lives in War and Peace in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan.
Laycock, Jo. (2009). Imagining Armenia: Orientalism, Ambiguity and Intervention. Manchester University Press.
Ohanyan, A. (2009). State-Society Nexus and Gender: Armenian Women in Postcommunist Context. In J. Gelb & M. L. Palley (Eds.), Women and Politics Around the World: A Comparative History and Survey (Vol. 2, pp. 231–245). ABC-Clio; American Bibliography of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
Rekhviashvili, A. (2010). Nationalism and Motherhood in Contemporary Georgia. CEU.
Rueschemeyer, M. (1994). Women in the Politics of Postcommunist Eastern Europe. M.E. Sharpe.
Tastanbekova, K. (2018). Post-Soviet legacies in girls’ education in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In I. Gradskova & I. Asztalos Morell (Eds.), Gendering Postsocialism: Old Legacies and New Hierarchies. Routledge.
Tereškinas, A. (2018). Postsocialist Gender Failures: Men in the Economies of Recognition. In I. Gradskova & I. Asztalos Morell (Eds.), Gendering Postsocialism: Old Legacies and New Hierarchies. Routledge.
Ziemer, U. (2020). Women against Authoritarianism and Patriarchy: Agency and Political Protest in Armenia. In U. Ziemer (Ed.), Women’s Everyday Lives in War and Peace in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan.