Politicizing Gender and Democracy in the Context of the Istanbul Convention (Gender and Politics)

This book examines opposition to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention and its consequences for the politics of violence against women in four countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Krizsán and Roggeband discuss why and how successful anti-gender mobilizations managed to obstruct ratification of the Convention or push for withdrawal from it. They show how resistance to the Convention significantly redraws debates on violence against women and has consequences for policies, women’s rights advocacy, and gender-equal democracy. Preface 6 Contents 10 List of Abbreviations and Organizations 11 List of Figures 16 List of Tables 17 1 Contestation Around the Istanbul Convention and the Questions It Raises 18 1.1 Research Design and Data 23 1.2 Contributions 26 1.3 Structure 29 Bibliography 30 2 The Politics of Violence Against Women: Theoretical Considerations 33 2.1 Violence Against Women and Its Relation to Democracy 34 2.2 Violence Against Women as a Policy Issue 36 2.3 The Istanbul Convention 42 2.4 Opposition to Gender-Sensitive VAW Interventions 47 2.4.1 Examining Opposition to the IC 53 2.5 Politicization of Gender and Resistance to Opponents of the IC 56 2.6 The Policy Impact of IC Debates 59 2.7 Conclusions 60 Bibliography 62 3 Opposing the Istanbul Convention: Actors, Strategies and Frames 71 3.1 Four Country Cases 72 3.1.1 Poland 72 3.1.2 Croatia 78 3.1.3 Hungary 82 3.1.4 Bulgaria 86 3.2 Actors Opposing the IC 90 3.2.1 Churches and Religious Leaders 94 3.2.2 Thinks Tanks 97 3.2.3 Political Parties and State Actors 98 3.3 Strategies for Opposing the IC 99 3.3.1 Campaigns Appealing to Democracy 100 3.3.2 Infiltrating or Capturing States 103 3.3.3 Violence 105 3.4 Framing Opposition to the Convention 106 3.4.1 The Challenge from Gender 106 3.4.2 The Challenge to Sovereignty 113 3.5 Transnational Embeddedness 117 3.6 Conclusions 120 Bibliography 123 4 Resistance, Resilience and Resignation: Women’s Rights Advocates and Their Allies 136 4.1 Country Cases 138 4.1.1 Poland 138 4.1.2 Croatia 142 4.1.3 Hungary 146 4.1.4 Bulgaria 149 4.2 Reconfiguring Movement—State Relations. The Role of States in Contextualizing Resistance 152 4.3 Changing women’s Rights Advocacy Capacities and Strategies 156 4.3.1 Reinvigorated Activism 159 4.3.2 Strengthened Voice and Coalition-Building 164 4.3.3 Dealing with Anti-IC Discourses 170 4.3.4 Fear and Withdrawal 175 4.4 Conclusions 181 Bibliography 184 5 The Reconfiguration of the Policy Field: How Opponents Appropriate VAW Policies 194 5.1 Introduction 195 5.2 Changes in Laws, Policies and Their Framing 197 5.2.1 Poland 197 5.2.2 Croatia 201 5.2.3 Hungary 203 5.2.4 Bulgaria 206 5.2.5 Conclusion 209 5.3 Implementation 210 5.3.1 The Paradox of Anti-Violence Budget Increase 214 5.3.2 Marginalizing women’s Rights Groups in Implementation Processes 217 5.3.3 Impact of the Hostile Policy Context on Implementation Arrangements 220 5.4 Conclusions/Implications 224 Bibliography 228 6 Implications of the Attacks for Feminism, the State and Democracy 237 6.1 Mapping Opposition to the Istanbul Convention 239 6.2 Impact on Policy Outcomes 243 6.3 Revitalizing Democracy—Resistance, Participation and Exhaustion 245 6.4 Implications for Gender-Equal Democracy 247 Bibliography 250 Index 252 In this meticulously documented study, Krizsán and Roggeband demonstrate how the Istanbul Convention mobilized conservative forces, fostered intricate ties between autocratic states and nonstate actors, refigured civil society to advantage anti-equality activists, defunded feminist organizations providing services to abused women and shifted resources to conservative organizations favoring "family values" over women's empowerment. Their insightful analysis has vital lessons for those concerned with social justice in the 21st century. --Mary Hawkesworth, Rutgers University This incisive analysis of the politics of violence against women in Central and Eastern Europe highlights how some determined governments are blocking or reversing important gains on the international legal front through concerted political and civic action. A cautionary story with important implications for the broader fight to advance women's rights globally. --Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace This important study compares and challenges Central and Eastern European pushback movements against the Istanbul Convention. The Convention for the first time provides legally binding definitions of "gender" and "gender-based violence against women", misinterpreted by conservative forces opposing this progressive international instrument. This book shows how positive instruments like the Istanbul Convention can be judged as problematic and that much more is needed to make gender equality a reality. --Dubravka Šimonović, Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences This book examines opposition to the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention and its consequences for the politics of violence against women in four countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Krizsán and Roggeband discuss why and how successful anti-gender mobilizations managed to obstruct ratification of the Convention or push for withdrawal from it. They show how resistance to the Convention significantly redraws debates on violence against women and has consequences for policies, women's rights advocacy and gender-equal democracy. Andrea Krizsán is a professor at the Central European University, Austria. Conny Roggeband is an associate professor of political science at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands