Far-Righting Feminism

Charlène Calderaro is a sociologist at the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Lausanne, specialising in gender equality public policies and femonationalism. Her thesis explored the development of public policies criminalising street harassment in France and Britain, with a focus on how the issue was framed by feminists and policymakers, and subsequently appropriated by far-right activists.

How are feminist causes appropriated by the far right? Based on a comparative study of policies criminalising street harassment in France and Britain, this talk will explore how contextual factors facilitate the appropriation of feminist causes by opposed political actors, fuelling what I term the "far-righting" of feminism. Through semi-structured interviews with policymakers and activists in France and Britain and with far-right activists who appropriated the cause in France, a critical analysis of documents and participant observations, this research explores how street harassment was framed in each context and how it was appropriated by far-right activists in France. It highlights the pivotal role of feminist governance structures and ideational repertoires of gender and race in shaping the political opportunities available for far-right actors. The findings reveal the ways in which far-right actors leverage pre-existing policy frames to support nationalist agendas, ultimately showing that the translation of contentious feminist causes into public policies can foster their appropriation by the far right and fuel femonationalism.

This webinar is part of an open seminar series, hosted by CISC. To discover more please visit the Centre for Intimate and Sexual Citizenship and follow the Centre on Twitter