The First Political Order

The First Political Order offers the strongest possible proof that male control of reproduction—and the violence necessary to control women's bodies—is the first step in normalizing violence and hierarchy in every society. From now on, there will be no more separating questions of politics and peace from the treatment of the females. Those days are over. Thanks to Valerie Hudson and her team of global researchers, we have a long, practical, intimate way of diminishing violence and increasing democracy. -- Gloria Steinem
The First Political Order’s description of the pervasive damaging social consequences of institutionalized male dominance, based on a fascinating new dataset, makes devastating reading. The authors say that their findings should be foundational for any discussion about national or international security. Their argument is lucid, hugely important, and entirely convincing. -- Richard Wrangham, author of The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution
In The First Political Order, Hudson and her collaborators make the case that the subordination of women is irrefutably tied to the well-being of a nation. Skeptical? The hard data is here, drawn from an exhaustive survey of 176 countries in the WomanStats project. This is the definitive work that ends the debate about the consequences of gender inequality. The focus now must shift to how we address a global syndrome that threatens us all. -- Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan
The First Political Order is a magisterial tour de force that transforms our understanding of international relations. Hudson, Bowen, and Nielsen provide a comprehensive and meticulous examination of how the systematic subordination of women around the world affects every critical outcome in world politics, from governance and security to environmental, economic, and social development. In so doing, they demonstrate how personal decisions produce systemic political consequences. -- Rose McDermott, Brown University
Convincingly argue[s] that the fate of a nation is tied to the status of its women. . . . The great achievement of this book is the extensive data underpinning its argument that the subordination of women anywhere undermines national security and stability everywhere. * Ethics and International Affairs *
By exposing the shortcomings of political regimes across the globe and bringing into sharp focus how longstanding sexual inequalities work to exacerbate tensions and instability worldwide, The First Political Order makes a significant contribution to gender, development and security discourse. . . . Essential reading for scholars, policy makers, and students alike. * RUSI Journal *
An in-depth exploration of the interplay between the socially constructed relationship between women and men, characterized by women’s subordination, and wider political systems...few existing works provide the depth and breadth of analysis in this book. -- Leah de Haan, Chatham House, UK * International Affairs *
The importance of this decade-long research project in developing understandings of state security cannot be understated and Hudson and her co-authors offer a timely intervention in the field of International Relations. * Hague Journal of Diplomacy *