Democratic Backsliding and Gender Activism in Turkey

In the last decade, the European Union (EU) integration processes has faced “multiple crisis” ranging from the Eurozone crisis, to the Schengen and Brexit crisis, to trends of de-democratisation and de-Europeanisation as well as recent crisis on the COVID-19 pandemic. These crises have had profound effects on gender equality policies where previous gains have been under attack in Europe and elsewhere. Feminist studies on EU have scrutinized the gender dimension of austerity politics and Brexit, the relationship between gender and anti-immigration attitude), and the politics and policies of gender in times of de-democratisation in member states. Much of the literature on European politics and gender do not focus on the changing politics of gender and activism in candidate countries within the context of de-democratisation and the frames of Europe in these processes in times of current crisis. Utilizing distinct scholarship on feminist political analysis and social movement theory, this study explores intersectional activism and the frames of Europe in Turkey and feminist resistances to opposition to gender+equality by focusing the debates on Istanbul Convention. I argue that opposition to Istanbul Convention has activated formation of intersecting alliances between gender-inclusive progressive groups (for example, LGBT organisations, pro-migrant organisations, academics, business groups) to counteract the backlash against gender+ equality rights. Feminist activists in Turkey have turned to grass roots activism and built coalitions with other social movements to advance gender equality. At the same time, activists have used EU selectively to secure voice and to prevent anti-gender backlash in Turkey. Yet despite the alliance formation between progressive groups, rising populist, right-wing and religious forces have instrumentalized gender equality and created polarisation in Turkey. Turkey is an interesting case to study policies and discourses of democratic backsliding and resistance in Southern Europe.