ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I borrow the last two forms of women’s participation in the nationalist project developed by Anthias and Yuval-Davis (1989, p. 7) to present the ways women politicians use ethnic and national differences in their work and politicise their active roles as participants in nationalist struggles. I found that not only are women treated by society, but they also treat each other as signifiers of the ethnic other, by using different linguistic symbols that delimit group boundaries called “border guards” (Armstrong, 1982, p. 8). In navigating complex patriarchal and hierarchical ethnie/nation systems, even when they promote traditional gender roles, women are treated as “other” by their own or other ethnies, and their families. To be able to be involved in politics, women need to navigate their gender and ethnic/national identity and to obtain many approvals. Their active participation in nationalist struggles is linked to nationalism and is centred around essentialised representation of women. I conclude that the promotion of traditional gender roles in proving women’s contributions offers very limited potential when it comes to transforming patriarchal national structures and hierarchical gender systems.
