Feminist Advocacy and Activism in State Institutions - Investigating the Representation of Women's Issues and Concerns in the Jamaican Legislature

This book analyzes the effect of gender on policy-making in the Jamaican Parliament, specifically regarding women-friendly policies. So-called 'women-friendly policies' are categorized as those laws which seek to promote and protect women's rights and equality and have some element addressing childcare, domestic violence, sex offences, reproductive rights, sex discrimination, property rights and family issues. It frames critical analysis of bill sponsorship and the participation levels and verbal contributions of legislators during floor debates on legislation affecting women. Using a mixed method approach, the author gives insight into how feminism is integrated into real-time public policy discourse. 

The book begins with a brief overview of feminist advocacy and activism and State feminism in Jamaica and an introduction to the country's Parliamentary system. It then moves to a theoretical discussion of feminist advocacy within public policy debates. The next two chapters present a time series analysis of bill introduction and floor debates on women's interests and issues legislation from 1962 through 2017. The concluding chapter ties up the research and provides recommendations for moving forward. Combining feminist theory with a detailed view of Jamaican Parliamentary procedure and debate, this book will be useful to students and researchers interested in feminist advocacy and activism, minority representation, democratic governance, and women in politics.

Jacqueline A. Coore-Hall is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona, with a PhD (high commendation) in Gender and Development Studies. She received the Most Outstanding Thesis Award for the academic year 2016/2017 and her work was featured as Outstanding Research from New Scholar at the University's Annual Research Day, 2018. She was one of two recipients of the 2017 Louraine Emmanuel Graduate Cash Award and Book Prize in Gender and Development Studies for academic excellence in written English and oral expression. As an advocate for a more gender-balanced society, Dr. Coore-Hall's interest lies in researching issues relating to gender discrimination, gender justice and democratic representation in the society. Her research also extends to understanding the extent and nature of the changes immigrants face in adapting/integrating in host countries in the post-migration stage and how the policy agenda can better aid in this transition.