Kristen Cordell

This book compiles papers presented at a June 2007 international conference on the problems that Afghanistan faces in the wake of the U.S.-led attack on al Qaeda and the Taliban; the challenges confronting the NATO International Security Assistance Force in coordinating nation-building activities in Afghanistan; and ways to address these issues.

The challenges of nation-building and of dealing with the societal and political aftermaths of conflicts have consumed tremendous international energy during the past decades. "Women and Nation-Building" tackles the exceedingly complex task of assessing the multilayered development of women's diverse roles in the post-conflict context. The author examines the role of women in the recent reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, while evaluating the effect of societal circumstances and nation-building processes on the status of female populations in post-conflict regions. Does women's part make a difference to the post-conflict trajectories of very volatile societies? "Women and Nation-Building" presents compelling findings for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars concerned with both the academic and pragmatic implementation of a more engendered approach to nation-building.The book concludes that the steps necessary to strengthen nation-building activities include an emphasis on human security, establishing governance based on the principles of equity and the rule of law, and women's early economic inclusion in reconstruction activities.Societies on a path toward equity and the rule of law are more peaceful and more prosperous, and the status of women is not merely a litmus test but an active agent in bringing about such an outcome.