ABSTRACT
Bridging the gap between academia and activism is an old theme in feminist theory and practice. How can (feminist) academic research be useful in human rights law work and public policy debates? This section starts with two chapters providing personal narratives of women who are both well-known academics and controversial activists in their respective societies. Ai Xiaoming is a professor of Chinese Language and Literature in China, a documentary film-maker and a women’s rights activist. Tiina Rosenberg is professor of Gender Studies in Sweden, queer activist and co-founder of the political party ‘Feminist Initiative’, a party that she recently left. The interviews illustrate some of the current obstacles faced by feminist activists in China and Sweden in their efforts to obtain social change and gender equality. Rosenberg and Ai, as well as human rights lawyer Sharon Hom in the third chapter, are deeply embedded in specific local struggles and face different socio-political realities. They also often face similar obstacles. Challenging prescribed gender roles and power relations is not only seen as upsetting to the political establishment and society at large, but can also be difficult to accept for more traditional women activists. Both Ai and Rosenberg have thus found themselves the targets of harassment – as activists and public intellectuals – by different groups in their respective societies. What is controversial may differ between respective societies and may also differ over time. The two interviews show that how we react to injustices and what strategies we use to fight them depend on individual choices as well as upon our socio-political context. Both Rosenberg and Ai made a deliberate decision to leave the relatively peaceful confines of academia for political struggles on other arenas. Whereas Rosenberg became disillusioned by the party political arena and decided to take part in public debate in other ways, Ai has continued her activism by making documentaries and signing charters such as Charter 08 calling for political and democratic reform, while increasingly finding herself a target of official harassment. Ai, Rosenberg and Hom not only take part in local struggles, but are also part of transnational and global communities of feminist activists. This gives shape and support to both their theoretical and their practical and political endeavours.
