Summary:
• Nonviolent movements are nearly twice as successful as violent ones in achieving their objectives. • Mass participation is part of what makes nonviolent movements so successful, particularly— and importantly—when women are included.
• Women have historically been denied full access to political spaces usually reserved for, or dominated by, men.
• All over the world, women have persisted in the face of inequalities to assume roles as strategists, organizers, and active participants in various nonviolent campaigns and movements.
• Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Liberia, the Palestinian territories, Poland, Syria, and the United States offer pertinent examples of women capitalizing on these inequalities to change the trajectory of nonviolent movements.
• Research shows that sustainable peace is more likely if women are meaningfully involved, but more quantitative data on the roles women play in nonviolent campaigns is needed.
• Scholars, policymakers, and practitioners all have a role to play in advancing the understanding of and support for women’s meaningful participation in nonviolent movements.
