Global Norms and Local Action

Combining theoretical sophistication with detailed and extensive fieldwork, the book is a major contribution not only to the IR literature on norm diffusion and localization, but also to practical policy debates about how to end violence against women. * Rita Abrahamsen, University of Ottawa * Medie's text is a thorough and unequivocal account of strategies and actions by so-called 'ordinary' women in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire to make anti-violence legislation a reality. By meticulously illustrating the local 'architecture' of movement work, analyzing the local-global nexus, and tracing the different routes to and successes of the 'domestication' of global women's rights norms at the street level in these two countries, Medie helps us better appreciate local-global politics around domestic violence work. Furthermore, we are provided insights into the struggles and bold initiatives of women's rights activists in both countries, work for which they receive insufficient credit in the international discourse on violence against women. * Akosua Adomako Ampofo, University of Ghana * Medie has written a path-breaking work, not just on violence against women, but on the implementation of international norms. Her rigorous case studies show how international and domestic factors work together to translate international norms into local improvements for human security. By asking us to think about norm institutionalization versus 'street-level' understandings, she lends nuance to our understanding of norms and of the power and limits of United Nations advocacy in African and other contexts. This book will interest students, practitioners, and scholars of international law and human security. * Charli Carpenter, University of Massachusetts-Amherst * What makes for effective gender policy in postconflict countries? Medie tackles this question, drawing on a wealth of evidence from Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire. Through a carefully constructed argument, she explores the nature of the interplay between international and domestic pressures and how they resulted in specialized police units (and other such mechanisms) to deal with violence against women. This book will be of great interest to scholars of international organizations, gender and politics, peacebuilding, and Africa. * Aili Mari Tripp, University of Wisconsin-Madison *