On 15 August 2021, Marzia Saramad was working for UNICEF in the Afghan capital, Kabul, when the Taliban seized control. Here, she explains Afghanistan's relevance to the global illiberal agenda
This year, millions of people in South Asia head to the polls. Potential outcomes of elections in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, however, do not bode well for women’s rights or gender equality, says Sohela Nazneen. The road ahead is difficult for women’s and LGBTQ+ struggles, as autocratic leaders consolidate power, and right-wing populists, digital repression, and violence against women and sexual minorities are all on the rise
Women and sexual minorities are facing unprecedented levels of targeted political violence. Andrea Krizsan and Conny Roggeband argue that gender-based violence has become a tool for right-wing populist parties and governments to promote and sustain an exclusionary ideal of the nation and the ‘people’ as white, patriarchal, and heteronormative
Scholars and journalists tend to focus on the misogyny of right-wing autocrats. But Jennifer Piscopo argues that we shouldn't overlook the patriarchal attitudes of left-wing populists. They may not directly attack women and gender minorities, but they also roll back gender equality gains
After the Fratelli d’Italia victory in the 2022 Italian general election, a radical-right government formed, headed by party leader Giorgia Meloni. Alessia Donà explores gender issues in FdI ideology, and the party’s alliance with the Italian anti-gender movement. She finds the Meloni government is founded on reactionary Catholic extremism
The reversal of Roe, bans on teaching about gender, and gunmen showing up at drag shows all are part of a trend in US and international politics. Rebecca Sanders and Laura Dudley Jenkins call it 'patriarchal populism'. They explain what patriarchal populism is, and three tactics used to undermine and attack established women’s and LGBTQ+ human rights
As the liberal norms promoted by the EU are fiercely contested, human rights groups in the South Caucasus face an insecure environment. Some propose alternatives to human rights promotion that challenge both the EU’s development paradigms and competing authoritarian agendas. Laura Luciani argues that we should take them seriously
Inviting more women to brief the United Nations Security Council helps include them in decision-making on international peace and security. But despite progress, observe Louise Olsson and Anna Marie Obermeier, challenges remain. The Council must integrate recommendations from women's voices into decision-making
Women and girls’ increased access to bicycles can support sustainable development, says the UN. Yet, write Lyndsay Hayhurst and Mitchell McSweeney, the bicycle may also exacerbate gender inequality
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