ABSTRACT
In July 1999 a group of about fifty scholars, activists and donor organization representatives met for three days at Oxford University to describe, discuss and analyse women’s organizing activities in the People’s Republic of China in the 1980s and 1990s. From the late 1970s and early 1980s onwards, the political leadership relaxed its control of the political sphere, thus allowing for the development of a wide range of activities in the sphere that has been theorized as civil society and public space. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses developments in women’s activisms. The book is concluded by reflecting ten Workshop participants reflect on their personal experience of the meeting, adding voices of appreciation but also a note of critical appraisal of the facilitation and process of an ambitious undertaking that sought to provide a forum for cross-boundary dialog and exchange.
