Women in Charge: The Effect of Rebel Governance and Women’s Organisations on Karen Women’s Political Participation

What factors affect women’s political participation in wartime? Previous scholarship has found several benefits associated with women’s participation in the peace process and in post-conflict society. However, little is known about what drives women’s political participation during or after civil war. This article addresses the former and examines two factors – the type of civilian governance structure and the degree of autonomy of women’s groups – to determine their effect on women’s participation in communities experiencing conflict. Drawing on fieldwork in Thailand and Burma/Myanmar, this article uses the conflict between the Burmese government and the Karen National Union to explore this relationship.