In recent years, both Africa and Europe have witnessed an unsettling wave of democratic erosion marked by the resurgence of populist politics, gendered disinformation, and violent suppression of dissent. This paper, titled “Cross-Regional Parallels in Democratic Erosion: Gender, Violence, and Populist Politics in Africa and Europe,” explores the comparative dynamics of how gender politics intersects with populist movements to weaken democratic norms and marginalize women in political life. While the contexts differ—Africa’s struggles with postcolonial governance and Europe’s rise of right-wing populism—both regions reveal converging trends in the weaponization of gender narratives and the normalization of violence in political discourse.
Using a comparative political analysis grounded in feminist and populist theory, the study examines case studies from Uganda, Kenya, Hungary, and Poland. It investigates how populist leaders exploit patriarchal sentiments and “anti-gender” rhetoric to consolidate power, delegitimize women’s rights, and restrict civic space. In Africa, gendered violence often takes physical and institutional forms—ranging from electoral intimidation to exclusion within party structures—while in Europe, it manifests through online harassment, policy rollbacks, and nationalist moralism. Despite these differences, the underlying logic remains consistent: controlling women’s agency becomes central to populist strategies of political survival.
The paper also highlights cross-regional networks of resistance, from feminist digital activism in Poland to women’s coalition politics in Kenya, illustrating how transnational solidarity can counteract democratic decline. By juxtaposing the African and European experiences, the study argues that gender is not a peripheral concern but a central axis of democratic erosion and renewal. Ultimately, it contends that protecting democracy in both regions demands confronting gender-based violence and reclaiming the political sphere as a space of equality, accountability, and human dignity.
