Why Would Feminists Trust the Police? by Leah Cowan
Leah Cowan's latest radical book is a historical look at the entanglements between the feminist movement and carcaral state, tracing narratives of both resistance and complicity
In Why Would Feminists Trust the Police?, Leah Cowan traces the history of British feminist organising from the turn of the 20th century to the present day, probing the ways in which different factions of the feminist movement have both resisted and been complicit in the mechanisms of the state, nation and empire.
The early strides towards women’s suffrage and its ties to policing and fascism; mid-century movements splintering over working-class solidarity and the inclusion of women of colour; the weaponisation of women's safety as a justification for violent policing – Cowan astutely unpicks the persistent and paradoxical way that feminist advancements have coincided with 'sharpening the knives of border enforcement and ramping up the violence of the carceral state and its welfare abandonment, as meted out by police and prisons in the name of women’s safety.'
Her historical depth is impressive, casting a celebratory gaze back to the grassroots organising of working-class, migrant and racialised women which is so often omitted and overlooked. The book is peppered with interviews – with activists, advocates, service providers and survivors – which build a vibrant picture of a world where communities take care and safety into their own hands. Above all, Cowan approaches her abolitionist arguments with a clear expertise and care, and her exploration of the ways in which carceral policies impact marginalised communities reflects her career in the sector. Her searing critiques of the state are calm and cutting, but her visions of an alternative are tender and hopeful.