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Contrary to the prognostications of authors writing as late as 15 years ago, both military coups and direct military rule in Latin America are shown to have undergone a sudden, sustained, region-wide decline following a notable upsurge during the 1970s. Rather than with changing levels of socioeconomic development, the explanation lies substantially with the legacy of military rule itself, including the military's association with economic failure, the disaffection of the military's business allies, the attendant "learning experiences" of civilian politicians, and, not least, the factionalization and loss of professionalism of the military itself, as well as an anti-authoritarian international climate. The impact of such causes could fade with time, thus leading to a renewal of direct military rule. There are some signs, however, of the emergence of a more institutionalized form of military involvement than in the past, one which entails an explicit political role for the military within otherwise democratic polities, but falling short of direct rule, in a kind of a post-national security state.

This article considers how, in the light of contemporary military transformations, feminist theorizing about women's military participation might be developed to take account of an emergent reality: the inclusion of increasing numbers of women in a range of roles within armed forces. A brief overview of established debates within feminist scholarship on women's military participation is provided, and we explore the trajectory of feminist strategies for change within both militaries and other institutions. The promise and limitations of mainstreaming gender into security institutions, as a consequence of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, are discussed. The article argues that existing feminist critiques often remain deterministic and have too readily dismissed the possibilities for change created by women's military participation, given the context of military transformations. Drawing on the idea of the regendered military, the article presents a conceptual strategy for considering how feminist theorizing about the gender–military nexus can take seriously women's military participation while remaining alert to feminist political goals of gender equality, peace and justice.

This paper considers how, in the light of contemporary military transformations, feminist theorizing about women's military participation might be developed to take account of an emergent reality of the inclusion of increasing numbers of women in a range of roles within armed forces. A brief overview of established debates within feminist international relations is provided, and we explore the trajectory of feminist strategies for change based on the displacing of gendered binaries. The promise, and ultimately limitations, of UNSCR 1325 are discussed. The paper argues that existing feminist critiques often remain deterministic, and have ignored the possibilities for change within military institutions themselves. Drawing on the idea of the regendered military, the paper presents a conceptual strategy for considering how feminist theorizing about the gender-military nexus can both account for women's military participation whilst remaining alert to feminist political goals of gender equality, peace and justice.