Professor Jennifer Moore of the University of New Mexico has unveiled a new book, "Women’s Work: Building Peace in War-Affected Communities of Uganda and Sierra Leone." Published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, this book explores peacebuilding efforts in Northern Uganda and Sierra Leone, regions recently affected by civil conflicts.
Moore's work stems from interviews with grassroots women activists over her visits from 2016 to 2023. Focused on women farmers and microentrepreneurs, the book highlights their roles in community-building through collective survival efforts like microcredit and collaborative agriculture. Moore explains, "These women reject a formula for transitional justice that prioritizes individual punitive approaches and instead advocate for a peacebuilding model that emphasizes collective material well-being, state accountability, and community reconciliation."
The book also addresses legal equality for women and partnerships between genders in maintaining societal transformation. Among the 20 peacebuilders interviewed, Moore notes, "while women were happy to lead peacebuilding efforts in their communities, they often felt that they were carrying the entire burden." Their ideal is to share responsibilities equally with men, though their current strength lies in community collaborations.
Moore, who earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1987, has a history of working with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Her experiences with West African refugees in the 1990s have influenced her interest in post-conflict recovery. As a law professor, she has focused on transitional justice, forming connections with women's groups in Sierra Leone and Northern Uganda.
Reflecting on her learning, Moore states, "Peace doesn’t come from on high or through governmental fiat. Nor is peace simply the absence of armed conflict. Peace is made piecemeal, through small and large acts of collective survival and conflict resolution."
Moore plans to translate portions of "Women’s Work" into Acholi and Krio to ensure accessibility for the communities she studied. Her earlier book, "Humanitarian Law in Action within Africa," was published by Oxford University Press in 2012, examining the functions of humanitarian law in conflict resolution.
A purchase link for "Women’s Work" is available, with a discount code, PENN-JMOORE30, for a 30% reduction.
