Feminist Activism at War

'It will be difficult to overstate the relevance of this book beyond its apparent narrow regional focus – capitals of the two former Yugoslav republics. As the second decade of the 21st century ebbs towards its end, the populism, nationalism, racism and misogyny that marked the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia are back with a vengeance on a global scale. It appears easy to unite as feminists – nationally and internationally – against the most visible and most infamous populist icons. But, it is the nitty-gritty of daily work against the ‘us-and-them’ politics where the conflicting positioning, contesting interpretations, and labelling and silencing occur. We would be wise to learn – in this book - how this happens, if not how to prevent it from happening.' - Dr. Dubravka Zarkov, International Institute of Social Studies 'Miškovska Kajevska’s book challenges simplistic dichotomies that come with nationalism and war. Her incisive analysis dissects divisions that cut across and within Croatian and Serbian feminist groups in the 1990s. It offers a novel perspective on the feminist response to conflict, by conducting a rigorous comparison and marshalling persuasive evidence, and provides a lucid account of fragmentation and restructuring of civil society in the context of nationalism and war. It will be of great value to scholars of nationalism, democratisation and ethnic politics.' - Dr. Denisa Kostovicova, Associate Professor in Global Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science The book’s sober and critical approach towards the pre-existing literature and the collected empirical data highlights the importance of self-scrutiny and reflexivity when dealing with processes of naming and labelling, which are always relational and have the power to shape reality in times of political polarisation. Feminist Activism at War is an extremely useful compendium, not only for those readers interested in post-Yugoslav gender and feminist history, but also for those striving to understand the complexity of political identification in conflict and postconflict settings. Bonfiglioli Chiara, Südosteuropa. Journal of Politics and Society