Female activists around the globe have long used the political opportunities afforded by constitutional reform to further gender equality and women s participation in politics. This timely and accessible volume addresses the way in which changes introduced by devolved governance in Wales have transformed the role of women in contemporary Welsh politics and presented a new phase in the history of Welsh women s activism. Based on original interviews with participants as well as a range of secondary sources, "Women, Politics, and Constitutional Change" examines the innovations, background, and effects that have led the new Welsh legislature to the second-highest proportion of women representatives in all of Europe, and the pro-devolution rhetoric of inclusiveness that opened the way."

The legacy of women's roles in the development of our country and our Constitution has largely been ignored by historians and educators--until now. Informative and enlightening, Women, Politics and the Constitution is one of the few books that recognizes and provides an understanding of women's early political contributions. It is an absolutely essential volume for an educated public. Experts, both women and men, debate, discuss, and commemorate the significance of the United States Constitution on women's history, rights, and present status. Chapters are written by legal and academic leaders who are playing a critical role both in interpreting and in determining the constitutional status of women. Highlights include: an overview of the history of women and the United States constitution by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who explores the exclusion of women from most political and economic protections provided to men and addresses the impact on women of various interpretations made by the United States Supreme Court a review of one pioneering woman's contributions to the content of the Constitution a discussion of the implications of the Constitution for African-American women an examination of how New Jersey women secured the right to vote in the late eighteenth century and their subsequent disenfranchisement an investigation of the significance of the Nineteenth Amendment for contemporary gender gap politics a look at sex discrimination cases decided by the Burger Court--both before and after the appointment of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor--to determine her impact on the Court as a whole and upon individual justices criticism of the Supreme Court's approach to constitutional gender equality, with suggestions for a new type of review for gender-based classifications under the Equal Protection Clause an exploration of the theoretical foundations of American sex discrimination law an examination of the content and success rate of constitutional changes relating to women's issues that were proposed in the 50 states between 1977 and 1985 Women, Politics and the Constitution is an outgrowth of the conference Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective which was held recently in Atlanta, Georgia, and was sponsored by the Carter Center of Emory University, the Jimmy Carter Library, and Georgia State University.

Women, Politics, and Change, a compendium of twenty-three original essays by social historians, political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists, examines the political history of American women over the past one hundred years. Taking a broad view of politics, the contributors address voluntarism and collective action, women's entry into party politics through suffrage and temperance groups, the role of nonpartisan organizations and pressure politics, and the politicization of gender. Each chapter provides a telling example of how American women have behaved politically throughout the twentieth century, both in the two great waves of feminist activism and in less highly mobilized periods. "The essays are unusually well integrated, not only through the introductory material but through a similarity of form and extensive cross-references among them....in raising central questions about the forms, bases, and issues of women's politics, as well as change and continuity over time, Tilly, Gurin, and the individual scholars included in this collection have provided us with a survey of the latest research and an agenda for the future." —Contemporary Sociology "This book is a necessary addition to the scholar's bookshelf, and the student's curriculum." —Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, professor of sociology, City University of New York Graduate Center

Constitutions around the world have overwhelmingly been the creation of men, but this book asks how far constitutions have affirmed the equal citizenship status of women or failed to do so. Using a wealth of examples from around the world, Ruth Rubio-Marín considers constitutionalism from its inception to the present day and places current debates in their vital historical context. Rubio-Marín adopts an inclusive concept of gender and sexuality, and discusses the constitutional gender order as it has been shaped by debates such those around same-sex marriage and the rights of trans persons. Covering a wide range of themes, from reproductive rights to political gender quotas and violence against women, this book offers a comprehensive feminist account of constitutional law. Truly international in scope and ambitious in subject matter, this is an invaluable resource for students and scholars working on gender within multiple disciplines.

Why ERA Failed looks at the systemic problems of politics and the amending process. The author, Mary Frances Berry, considers the behavior of the two sides from the perspective of a historian and lawyer. She describes the history of the amending process, from the Constitutional Convention to the present day, and its application to the struggles for amendments concerned with the status of blacks after the Civil War, income tax, prohibition, child labor, and woman suffrage. Berry concludes that ERA approval was problematic at best and defeat predictable. Supporters did too little of what is required for ratification of a substantive proposal too late. Furthermore, the large number of state ratifications gained was deceptive. Support was eroding instead of increasing in the final stages of the campaign.

The legacy of women's roles in the development of our country and our Constitution has largely been ignored by historians and educators--until now. Informative and enlightening, Women, Politics and the Constitution is one of the few books that recognizes and provides an understanding of women's early political contributions. It is an absolutely essential volume for an educated public. Experts, both women and men, debate, discuss, and commemorate the significance of the United States Constitution on women's history, rights, and present status. Chapters are written by legal and academic leaders who are playing a critical role both in interpreting and in determining the constitutional status of women. Highlights include: an overview of the history of women and the United States constitution by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who explores the exclusion of women from most political and economic protections provided to men and addresses the impact on women of various interpretations made by the United States Supreme Court a review of one pioneering woman's contributions to the content of the Constitution a discussion of the implications of the Constitution for African-American women an examination of how New Jersey women secured the right to vote in the late eighteenth century and their subsequent disenfranchisement an investigation of the significance of the Nineteenth Amendment for contemporary gender gap politics a look at sex discrimination cases decided by the Burger Court--both before and after the appointment of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor--to determine her impact on the Court as a whole and upon individual justices criticism of the Supreme Court's approach to constitutional gender equality, with suggestions for a new type of review for gender-based classifications under the Equal Protection Clause an exploration of the theoretical foundations of American sex discrimination law an examination of the content and success rate of constitutional changes relating to women's issues that were proposed in the 50 states between 1977 and 1985 Women, Politics and the Constitution is an outgrowth of the conference Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective which was held recently in Atlanta, Georgia, and was sponsored by the Carter Center of Emory University, the Jimmy Carter Library, and Georgia State University.

This volume provides a timely and revealing account of women's constitutional strategies and struggles. It compares and contrasts the latest constitutional developments within the United Kingdom with women's past and present struggles in countries including Canada, the United States and South Africa. Through theoretical engagement and practical experiences, the contributors develop crucial arguments on the nature and effect of constitutional change, equality, women's rights and representation. This shows how women, through their words and deeds, have challenged and shaped the nature and forms of constitutionalism.