There is a conservative trend going on in Europe. Anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia, anti-same sex marriage, and anti-LGBTQ+ groups are increasingly invading the public space. In preparation of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March of 2023, I decided to read Kuhar’s book Anti- Gender campaigns in Europe. It has helped me to navigate my expectations of opposition groups during the upcoming CSW67. In this blog post I will use the book to reflect on my thoughts on and feelings about conservative trends. I will also share what I find interesting about the book, and my expectations for CSW67.
Norms and values
It is easy to find examples of anti-gender movements in Europe. During the silent protest of a Slovenian anti-gender group called the Strazarji (the Guards) in December 2015 more than 70 people lined up in the centre of Ljubljana to publicly condemn marriage equality. They claimed to be the guards of ‘a natural family as a union of a man, a woman, and children’. In 2013, supporters of the Italian group Sentielle in Piedi gathered in 100 Italian cities to oppose LGTBQ+ rights and ‘gender ideology’ in the country. The French group Villeurs rallied in Paris in 2013 to defend the ‘traditional Christian’ norms and values. Kuhar’s book Anti- Gender campaigns in Europe touches upon all these and other examples to uncover the root causes of growing anti-gender campaigns in Europe.
Towards full gender equality
According to Kuhar, anti-gender movements have mostly developed in Europe since the 2010s. Prior to that, European leaders and western scholars were largely convinced that Europe was on its way to full gender equality. They clearly underestimated the rapid emergence and pushback of conservative opposition groups in what we tend to call the West. Giorgia Meloni, the recently elected president of Italy, is nationalist and classifies as far-right. She is anti-LGTBQ+, anti-euthanasia, Islamophobic and anti-abortion. The extremely conservative Polish president Duda has restricted women’s right to abortion. The Hungarian Prime Minister Orban has been putting ‘traditional' Christian values at the center of politics in this country. In 2022, millions of women lost the constitutional right to abortion in the USA (see also WO=MEN’s news item on this in 2022 )
These conservative trends make me incredibly sad. It is a massive step back in time. As a 23-year-old woman, the risk of losing my constitutional rights as a woman, and undoing all the progress made, is absolutely terrifying.
What do I find interesting about the book?
I strongly recommend reading the book Anti- gender Campaigns in Europe. It is an essential reading to better understand what is often called the pro- life movement and anti LGTBQ+ movements. This well-documented comparative study shows how anti-gender groups are deeply intertwined with religion and populism. The way in which Kuhar explains how both the Catholic church and right-wing populists use the term ‘gender ideology’ to promote themselves is remarkably interesting to me.
Kuhar has helped me understand that the term ‘gender ideology’ is a concept that is initially created to oppose LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. It is a term created to critique same sex marriage, sexual and reproductive rights, abortion, adoption, euthanasia and more. ‘Gender ideology’ activists and institutions like the Catholic church aim to expose the dangers of gender. I have learned that anti-gender movements see gender as a form of totalitarianism. According to these movements, gender invades society through the mantle of equity, tolerance, inclusivity, diversity, and freedom. They see it as oppressive doctrine of the United Nations. Anti- gender groups are convinced gender is an attack to what they call ‘the natural family’.
Politics of fear
Kuhar also describes how anti gender movements make use of ‘othering’, politics of fear, and scapegoating. I find it particularly interesting how anti-gender movements use scapegoating of minorities as a strategy to gain support. They make use of binary divisions and otherness to increase the number of disciples. For instance, populist anti-gender groups claim that the United Nations silences the powerless ‘normal’ people and that same sex marriage destroys the family. Kuhar explains that anti-gender campaigns rely on these politics of fear. They purposefully seek to instil fear of potential dangers to society. They also actively seek to create scapegoats who represent this ‘dangerous’ Other. This political strategy divides society on purpose to attract new followers.
What about anti-gender movements during CSW67?
I am curious about the campaigns of anti-gender groups during the CSW67. What will their strategy be this year? Will they hand out anti-LGBTQ+ flyers outside the UN building? Will they harass and disturb the (online) sessions, and will they drive around with pro-life busses again? What will their opposition sessions discuss and how will they relate to this year’s CSW theme which focuses on technology and digital spaces? I am eager to find out.
Reading Anti-gender campaigns in Europe has helped me better understand anti-gender movements’ roots, strategies, and rationale. Hopefully, it has also prepared me better for this year’s opposition strategies.
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