Gender & Nonviolent Action

Authors: Laura Strawmyer

Publication Date: April 2018

Contents: Women have led nonviolent social movements throughout history and around the world. Women are not necessarily less violent than men by their nature, but the way girls and women are socialized in most cultures may lead them more toward nonviolence than violence. Furthermore, there are fewer barriers to participation for women in nonviolent movements than violent ones. Women have used unique tools for civil resistance. There are myriad examples of women using their bodies and societal views of the female body to spur change.