George W. Bush and the War on Women

The actions and policies of the George W. Bush administration as they impact on women in the United States and abroad have been a largely ignored aspect of his presidency. Bush‘s policies have in many ways reversed or inhibited women‘s progress over the past three decades. While the media have focused on his opposition to abortion, Bush‘s less-publicized anti-feminist agenda has in fact been much more extensive. He has opposed women‘s interests in multiple ways, from shutting down women‘s offices in the government to de-funding programs that assist women, from opposing global women‘s rights treaties to supporting anti-feminist organizations. Contrary to his public claims that ‘W stands for Women,‘ his behaviour in office reveals a strongly patriarchal bent. This book analyses the impacts on women of the Bush presidency in the United States and internationally, including a chapter on negative effects of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.