| In the era of tentative peace and democracy in Central America, regional leaders now guide their countries under the rubric of globalization. Though women have always played an important, though ignored, role in economic development, globalization creates a new framework for understanding peripheral women's changing roles and forms of resistance. This research focuses on how Central American women perceive and respond to globalization.; The expansion of the gendered division of labor to include wage work simply extends the boundaries of exploitation and imposes more burdens on women. The recession of the state and structural adjustment programs in the region further limit women's access to essential goods and services. Interviews with hundreds of organized women from various sectors demonstrate the gendered nature of globalization and the politics of women's resistance.; Through their mobilization, women provide alternative models to dominant forms of political/economic organization represented by neo-liberal globalization. As women organize around basic needs and negotiate power in their communities, they reconstruct their gender identities and redefine what it means to be women. In this regard, the stories of Central American women allow for a broader view of the sweeping phenomenon that is globalization. At the same time, globalization provides the means of locating the various ways women reject subjugation and exercise power. |
