Conclusion: Pinpointing the Significance of Women’s Empowerment, Recognizing Political Opportunities, Anticipating Transnational Coalitions

Abstract

This study began with questions about the strategies and impact of different types of egalitarian social movements over the last 20 years. Since the late 1970s, the widespread adoption of neoliberal policies has meant the rapid marketization of more and more aspects of social life in all parts of world. Based on historical experience, we hypothesized that the prospects for any return back to ‘society’ from the market will depend on the success of those social movements. We noted global-level evidence that women’s movements have been more successful than movements working to reduce class inequalities and regional inequalities, and hypothesized that this relative success reflected, in part, the strategies employed by women’s and democracy movements.