International ContextBooks

A record of liberation and transformation by Tarana Burke, the founder of the 'Me Too' movement. With overwhelming honesty, it depicts the deep wounds as a survivor of sexual violence, the reality of silenced Black women, and how the hope of 'empowerment through empathy' was born.

A poetically written and sharply critical exploration of the unspoken pain, anger, and alienation hidden behind the myth of the 'model minority.' Cathy Park Hong dismantles the racial and social hierarchies of American society through the lens of her own experiences as an Asian American woman.

Thirty-four years after 'The Handmaid's Tale,' Margaret Atwood delivers a stunning sequel following the collapse of the Republic of Gilead through the perspectives of three different women. It depicts how the fires of resistance are lit from within an oppressed regime and how absolute power eventually crumbles.

A shocking exposé into how the world is designed for men as the 'default,' systematically ignoring women's data. Spanning healthcare, technology, urban planning, and economics, Caroline Criado Perez reveals how invisible data bias seriously impacts women's health, safety, and lives.

A sweeping historical novel set on the Korean island of Jeju, following the intersecting fates of two female divers over several decades. From the Japanese colonial era through the Korean War and into the present, the story depicts the resilient lives, solidarity, and ultimate forgiveness of women caught in the tides of history.

'To transform silence into language and action' - . A definitive collection covering the representative works of Audre Lorde, who fought against discrimination, illness, and power while upholding her identity as Black, lesbian, mother, and warrior. An incredibly powerful intellectual legacy for turning difference into the power of solidarity.

Liberating 'motherhood' from middle-class privilege to reconstruct it as the most radical practice of social transformation. A groundbreaking anthology on love, survival, and collective liberation by women of color, queer people, the poor, and low-wage caregivers.

A memoir by legendary feminist activist Gloria Steinem, chronicling her decades of travel and the conversations she held with the people she met along the way. It beautifully illustrates how moving, listening, and organizing can transform the world and shape the self.

Laura Sjoberg offers an accessible but rigorous account of how gender orders shape the causes, conduct, narration, and aftermath of war.

Cynthia Enloe makes international politics visible through women working in tourism, domestic labor, diplomacy, military bases, and export economies.

J. Ann Tickner reflects on twenty-five years of feminist IR, from reformulating realism and security to methodology, 9/11, religious violence, race, and empire.

The moving memoir of the girl who fought for her right to education and survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban at age fifteen. A powerful record of life in Pakistan's Swat Valley, family bonds, and the courage of an individual standing against extremist oppression.

Annick T. R. Wibben reconstructs security through narrative theory, asking who may tell threat stories and whose experience state-centered accounts exclude.

Laura Sjoberg and Sandra Via assemble seventeen interdisciplinary feminist essays on how gender organizes military institutions, wartime violence, peacebuilding, and public memory.

A raw and powerful record of a girl growing up amidst poverty, violence, and rigid social expectations in Jamaica, winning her freedom through poetry and her own voice. It reveals the truth behind the illusion of 'paradise' while exploring biracial identity, sexuality, and the reclamation of self.

A powerful novel by the Nigerian-born author following the lives of four African women working in Antwerp's red-light district. Driven to Europe by poverty, betrayal, and a longing for a better life, they seek to reclaim their identities and find new solidarity amidst cold realities.

An autobiographical graphic novel depicting the tumultuous years of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War through the eyes of a young girl. It explores a rebellious spirit seeking freedom, identity struggles, and oppression by state power. A deeply human and powerful record of resilience told through stark black-and-white drawings.

The most reliable introductory text exploring the complex and transformative lineage of 'Queer Theory.' It systematizes the field with clear and precise logic, covering identity politics, deconstruction, intersectionality with feminism, and its potential to fundamentally destabilize the definitions of sexuality.

A monumental work of non-fiction intended to reclaim transgender history and pride. Covering from ancient communities to contemporary activism, it reveals through abundant illustrations how gender diversity has been suppressed and how it has been fought for with unyielding will.

A record of the soul's cry and intellectual legacy of Black women thinkers from the 19th century to the present. A monumental anthology that can be called a canon of Black Feminism, gathering the 'Words of Fire' spoken to shatter the triple constraints of racism, sexism, and class oppression.

An enduring monument in transgender and lesbian history. Set in 1950s - 70s America, it tells the story of Jess Goldberg’s lonely struggle on the boundaries of gender, the solidarity of the working class, and an unyielding spirit in pursuit of personal truth.

A seminal work of the late 20th century that dismantles how the West constructed a distorted image of the 'Orient' as a tool of domination. Founding the field of postcolonial theory, it serves as an indispensable guide to understanding the complex relationships between gender, race, and power.

A creative memoir that weaves together Chinese legends, family storytelling, and American reality to depict the complex identity and silent struggles of a second-generation Chinese immigrant. A soulful record of breaking silence with words and winning back one's own story through the image of a warrior like Mulan.