OVERVIEW
Since independence, Madagascar has experienced several episodes of political instability. Violent clashes between government and opposition forces in 2009 culminated in the seizure of power by Andry Rajoelina. International condemnation was swift, with major donors such as the US and EU imposing sanctions, multilateral bodies suspending Madagascar’s membership and negotiations were initiated by several intergovernmental organisations. Several phases of the peace process occurred eventually leading to the signing of the Roadmap for Ending the Crisis in Madagascar in September 2011. Very few women were directly included in mediation or at the peace table, but women were active throughout the process in more informal spaces and played key roles in reconciliation processes. Yet, Malagasy women continue to face discriminatory gendered norms in areas of, inter alia, property and inheritance rights, citizenship rights, marital norms and practices, violence against women (VAW), and the feminisation of labour in Export Processing Zones (EPZs).
