Lind, Amy. Gendered paradoxes: women's movements, state restructuring, and global development in Ecuador. Pennsylvania State, 2005. 182p bibl index afp ISBN 0-271-02544-1, $55.00 . Reviewed in 2006may CHOICE.
Lind (women and gender studies, Univ. of Virginia) begins by correctly noting that while studies of Ecuador's strong social movements have focused a good deal of attention on indigenous actors, scholars have slighted the roles of women. Nevertheless, much like indigenous peoples, women confronted the 1980s debt crisis and similarly became significant new political actors in the struggle against neoliberal economic policies. Over the past 25 years, these policies have hit women particularly hard and exacerbated gender inequalities. Lind argues that women's interests are best served by directly challenging existing development strategies and forwarding concrete alternatives. By introducing gender, the author provides an important corrective to understanding how social movements engage, negotiate, and challenge government policies. She excels at painting a big picture of understanding the role of gender in nongovernmental organizations, globalization, and development policies. While those interested in women's studies will want to read this book, its message is perhaps more urgent for those who do not typically study gender, in order to understand better how it interacts with race and class to foster systems of domination. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- M. Becker, Truman State University