Gender Politics, Violence, and Democratic Erosion

Across the world, democracy is under threat. Populist, authoritarian, and right-wing actors increasingly promote anti-gender politics and undermine democratic norms, targeting feminist, queer, and racialised communities. States and political leaders also instrumentalise violence — physical, digital, and epistemic — as a means of exclusion, policing who can participate, dissent, or belong. This section examines the intersections of gender politics, violence, and democratic erosion, foregrounding how masculinist cultures, anti-gender mobilisations, and disinformation campaigns reinforce hierarchies, as well as how feminist and grassroots movements mobilize in resistance. We invite contributions from across methodological and theoretical traditions (quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic, historical, comparative, non-conventional and mixed-methods) and disciplines (political science, sociology, gender studies, media studies, and related fields). We particularly welcome panels and papers that address: • How authoritarianism and anti-gender movements target rights, feminist activism, and marginalised political actors. • The role of violence (online, physical, symbolic) in policing participation and reinforcing exclusion. • Masculinist cultures, populist rhetoric, militarism, and leadership styles as legitimisers of hostility. • Gendered disinformation, online harassment, and the role of digital platforms. • Feminist, queer, and intersectional forms of resistance, including transnational solidarity. • Gendered aspects in global and regional politics, not limited to Europe The section is committed to inclusivity and diversity, encouraging contributions from early-career scholars, underrepresented groups, and researchers from across regions, especially the Global South.