Women against the Korean War

Abstract

This chapter looks into buried histories to show how leftist women tried to bridge the Cold War divide through maternal strategies. It clarifies that maternalism was not imposed to maintain traditional Confucian gender roles or by idolizing Kim Il Sung's mother and wife. The Korean War galvanized international women to promote women's rights and launch the first global peace campaign during the Cold War. Moreover, Cold War historiography distorted the understanding of the international women's movement and dismissed serious efforts against the Korean War as bogus peace ventures. The chapter elaborates on the work of the Women's International Democratic Federation, which was the largest international women's organization to form after the end of World War II.