Workshop: The Ambivalent Politics of 'Protection': Feminist Struggles in Right Wing Times

The political demand for 'protection', along with calls for security and control, lies at the heart of right-wing populist discourse. Thereby, the defense of a culturally defined nation becomes inseparable from the proclaimed 'protection' of women. Across the world, the protection of minoritized populations from violence has likewise been a central concern of feminist movements. Yet, feminist struggles have always reached far beyond mere 'protection': they advocate self-determination, education and preven-tion, social justice, and peace - values that directly challenge right-wing agendas.

Against the backdrop of the current right-wing times, this workshop explores how the notion
of 'protection' is shaped and contested in the U.S. and the European context in different political fields. How does the racist and anti-migration instrumentalization of 'protection' of women affect current feminist struggles? What strategies have they developed to resist such co-optation? To what extent can anti-racist and decolonial approaches shape a transnational feminist response that bridges the worlds of academia and activism?

Detailed program can be found here.