Alternative Norm Production in Antigender Alliances: The Curious Case of the International Convention on Family Rights

Taking the construction and promotion of the International Convention on Family Rights as its case, this paper aims to understand the political and policy implications of alternative norm production. Presented by the Polish ultra-conservative organisation, Ordo Iuris, in 2018, the International Convention on Family Rights was drafted and promoted as a preferred alternative to the Council of Europe's existing Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women (the Istanbul Convention). Born of antigender mobilization against the Istanbul Convention's gender normative agenda, the International Convention on Family Rights forgoes a gendered approach to the counteraction and prevention of violence against women and instead promotes the defence of the family as the primary unit in contemporary societies. Initially welcomed and supported by the then government (Law and Justice Party) the International Convention on Family Rights was promoted transnationally generating some momentum for its family forward approach, before falling into obscurity. Considering the promotion of the "natural family" by antigender actors in opposition to individual liberal values systems, the promotion of the International Convention on Family Rights is as an example of transnational antigender allyship that stands counter to international human rights bodies and emphasizes the normative cleavages in global politics. This paper focuses upon alternative norm production as a form of interaction between ultra-conservative civil society actors and state parties. Taking a critical frame approach to interviews with progressive civil society actors in Poland alongside analysis of textual documents, the paper investigates the construction and promotion of alternative norms. Through application of the theoretical concept of "norm spoiling" the paper further analyses alliances between state parties and ultra-conservative organisations as they oppose the Istanbul Convention and construct and promote alternative normative agenda in the form of the International Convention on Family Rights.