Manisha Desai – författare

Women's Activism and Globalization is a broad and comprehensive collection that shows how women activists across the globe are responding to the forces of the new world order in their communities. The first person accounts and regional case studies provide a truly global view of women working in their communities for change. The essays examine women in urban, rural, and suburban locations around the world to provide a rich understanding of the common themes as well as significant divergences among women activists in different parts of the world.

Gender and the Politics of Possibilities explores the lesser-known side of globalization beyond the effects of national governments and multinational corporations by taking a look at grassroots movements by women that have and continue to shape globalization today. Manisha Desai highlights the significant role that women play in cross-border trade in Africa, in transborder activism on issues that affect women, and in cultural change and social justice.

Gender and the Politics of Possibilities explores the lesser-known side of globalization beyond the effects of national governments and multinational corporations by taking a look at grassroots movements by women that have and continue to shape globalization today. Manisha Desai highlights the significant role that women play in cross-border trade in Africa, in transborder activism on issues that affect women, and in cultural change and social justice.

The essays in this collection examine issues of gender, family, and law in the Middle East and South Asia. In particular, the authors address the impact of colonialism on law, family, and gender relations; the role of religious politics in writing family law and the implications for gender relations; and, the tension between international standards emerging from UN conferences and conventions and various nationalist projects. Employing the frame of globalization, the authors highlight how local and global forces interact and influence the experience and actions of people who engage with the law. By virtue of a 'south-south' comparison of two quite similar and culturally linked regions, contributors avoid positing 'the West' as a modern telos. Drawing upon the fields of anthropology, history, sociology, and law, this volume offers a wide-ranging exploration of the complicated history of jurisprudence with regard to family and gender.

Social struggles in India target both the state and private corporations. Three subaltern struggles against development in Gujarat, India, succeeded, to varying degrees, due to legalism from below and translocal solidarity, but that success has been compromised by its gendered geographies.Based on extensive field research, this book examines the reasons for the three social movements succeess. It analyses the contradictory reality of the deepening of democracy along with coercive state measures in the era of neoliberal development, the importance of the legal changes in the state, the nature of the local fields of protest, and the translocal field of protest in contemporary subaltern protests. Addressing gender inequalities within and outside the struggle, the author shows that despite subaltern women having symbolic visibility in the public spaces of the struggles – such as rallies, protests, and meetings with government officials – they are absent from the private spaces of decision-making and collective dialogues.This book offers a new approach on the politics of social movements in contemporary India by discussing the nuanced relationship between development and democracy, social justice and gender justice. It will be of interest to academics in the field of Development and Gender studies, Studies of social movements and South Asian Studies.

Social struggles in India target both the state and private corporations. Three subaltern struggles against development in Gujarat, India, succeeded, to varying degrees, due to legalism from below and translocal solidarity, but that success has been compromised by its gendered geographies.Based on extensive field research, this book examines the reasons for the three social movements succeess. It analyses the contradictory reality of the deepening of democracy along with coercive state measures in the era of neoliberal development, the importance of the legal changes in the state, the nature of the local fields of protest, and the translocal field of protest in contemporary subaltern protests. Addressing gender inequalities within and outside the struggle, the author shows that despite subaltern women having symbolic visibility in the public spaces of the struggles – such as rallies, protests, and meetings with government officials – they are absent from the private spaces of decision-making and collective dialogues.This book offers a new approach on the politics of social movements in contemporary India by discussing the nuanced relationship between development and democracy, social justice and gender justice. It will be of interest to academics in the field of Development and Gender studies, Studies of social movements and South Asian Studies.

Winner of the 2026 Nautilus Gold Award in World Cultures’ Transformational Growth & Development and the Nautilus Special Honors Award:Transformative Systems Vision. Winner of an International Impact Book Award, April 2026.This groundbreaking open access volume introduces eco-social contracts as a bold and actionable vision for addressing the major, interconnected crises of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequality, and the erosion of public trust and democratic legitimacy. At its heart lies a fundamental realization that can no longer be ignored: the social contract has been broken for billions of people. As a result, the bonds between people, planet, and power must be rewoven.Increasingly recognized by the UN, global assessments such as the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, and by a growing international community of civil society leaders, youth movements, and NGOs, eco-social contracts call for renewed solidarity, systemic equity across generations and communities, inclusive governance, and a fundamental transformation of economic systems.They challenge dominant economic paradigms and present a holistic and compelling alternative—one that rebalances our relationships with nature, institutions, and one another. This book captures that momentum, blending visionary thinking and grounded inspiration with hard-won lessons on unlocking and mobilising collective agency.Rooted in diverse knowledge systems—from Indigenous cosmologies and feminist and care-based economics to regenerative development and post-growth thought—it brings together contributions from leading scholars, practitioners, artists, and activists across the globe. Bridging theory and practice, it offers vital insights into how regenerative, inclusive, and just futures can be co-created.For changemakers, students, and all those seeking hope, direction, and clarity in a time of global uncertainty, this book is both a call to action and a guide for transformation—inviting readers to imagine and co-create sustainable and just futures our hearts and minds know are possible.Selected EndorsementsInger Andersen – Executive Director, UNEP: “This volume is a progressive and constructive contribution to building societies in harmony with nature.”Mary Robinson – The Elders, and Former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner: “This book makes clear that a new eco-social contract must be built on structural justice, intergenerational equity, and inclusive governance.”Jayati Ghosh - Club of Rome, and UN High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs: “An incredibly timely and significant book that could not be more relevant for our current planetary emergency. Some light in the seeming darkness!”Kumi Naidoo – President, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative: “This book convincingly shows why and how we must transition from systems that devalue life to economies that cherish well-being and shared prosperity.”Karen O’Brien – Co-Chair, IPBES Transformative Change Assessment: “This book shows how we can recognize ourselves as agents of change. When we do, new realities become thinkable and actionable.”Daan Zieren, Chair Youth Climate Movement (The Netherlands), part of the We Are Tomorrow Global Partnership (WAT-GP): “Young people feel the urgency of the climate crisis, but they lack the perspective of a structural solution. For a shared vision of the future, we need new forms of involvement. The eco-social contract offers an inspiring example of how we can build a sustainable future together."