Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim Women in India
Overview
Violence against Muslim people and groups is increasing in India. Along with the infamous riots in Gujarat in 2002 and Muzaffarnagar in 2013, sexual violence has emerged as key weapon when targeting women. There have also been significant policy and legal changes in India, targeting the rights of Muslim people, such as proposed ‘Population Policy’ in the state of Uttar Pradesh seeking to control women’s reproductive rights. Many other policies implemented by the ruling BJP party and movements by Hindutva groups are restricting and dismantling the rights of Muslim people and groups.
Purpose of research
This action research will bear witness to, document, and analyse the backlash against Muslim women’s rights in India. It will contribute to efforts to mobilise and organise Muslim women across several states in the country to counter backlash against their rights.
Reclaiming the Gender Justice Agenda for Transgender Communities
Overview
The definition of ‘transgender’ in South Asia represents people who identify as being gender fluid, moving beyond a ‘binary’ understanding. The 2011 census in India showed close to half a million people who identify as transgender, though the actual number is much higher. Recent new laws introduced by the Government of India (such as the Transgender Persons Act 2019) have been strongly opposed by the transgender community. The law does not consider fundamental rights, such as access to housing, social protection, separate washrooms, hospital or prison wards, and specific protections from custodial and other forms of violence. Along with existing colonial laws, patriarchal and religious belief systems, and a lack of state support, the transgender community continue to face serious and often violent backlash.
Purpose of research
The research aims to support transgender people to precisely identify the backlash, and enable them to evolve new framings that will be effective in negotiating and countering this backlash. The action will involve a Community Crisis Response and Support Cell (CCRSC) which provides a telephone helpline for members of the transgender community, as well as providing a physical ‘safe space’ for counselling or mediation exercises.
Between Reforms and Reprisals: Permutations of Patriarchy in Pakistan
Overview
Activism for gender justice in Pakistan has long faced hostile backlash from political and social movements. Women’s activism has been documented and analysed by looking at attacks on women. There is a need for more focus on the types of attacks, how they are changing, or how they are part of, ongoing gender backlash. In recent years, the surveillance of women has increased and become a key gender backlash tool, such as cyber-crimes, spying and sexual harassment have increased. Honour crimes have also adapted to new laws, and pressure from women’s rights activists and movements.
Purpose of research
This research will aim to illustrate to women’s rights activists and advocates that systems are not blocked to them, and offer insights for identifying mutating forms of violence. It will explore changing patterns of violence against women, focusing on Sindh Province between 2012 to 2021, using crime statistics as a data source. It will also focus on honour killings, delving into the resurgence of this crime and how it has changed. Interviews will be conducted with women and men to corroborate findings.
Our Stories – Our Voices – Our Right: Mitigating misogyny and GBV
Overview
Feminist groups in Pakistan are demanding economic, reproductive and environmental justice, leading annual protests on International Women’s Day since 2018. These groups have come under in-tense pressure from conservative forces in Pakistan, sparking counter-movements by right-wing groups. Despite intense back-lash and violent threats, the groups continue in their demands.
Purpose of research
This research will explore backlash against feminists and human rights activists in Pakistan. It will examine the different sites and sources of the backlash, focusing on how language and counter-strategies (such as the Hayya (Modesty) March by women from the religious right) are used. It will include meetings between a younger generation of feminists and the older generation of feminists from the Women’s Action Forum for an exchange of ideas and views. There will also be focus group discussions and interviews.
Countering Gender Backlash in Serbia – Experiences of Feminist and Queer Activists
Overview
Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) and queer activists faced intense an sustained attacks during the Covid-19 pandemic in Serbia, according to research by the A11 Initiative for Economic and Social Rights. The report also documents cases where the Serbian state used pandemic regulations to restrict individuals and groups who were critical of the regime, including artists, activists, journalists (often women), and people celebrating Pride in Belgrade. Democratic backsliding in Serbia has rapidly increased during the pandemic. This has contributed to a shrinking space for activism in Serbia, most felt by members of the women’s and queer movements.
Purpose of research
This research will develop a deeper understanding of gender backlash in Serbia in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also explore opportunities for collaboration between a range of programmes and women’s rights organisations.
Gender Backlash in Turkey: The Case of State-Sponsored KADEM
Overview
Promoting family-values and being active in campaigns against gender violence in Turkey has made KADEM a focus of gender backlash. KADEM (Kadın ve Demokrasi Derneği in Turkish, The Women and Democracy Association in English) is a government-sponsored Islamic feminist organisation in Turkey. The organisation is seen as an ‘acceptable face’ of women’s rights in the country and promotes conservative family-values in-line with the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi in Turkish) politics. This is seen as deeply patriarchal and opposed to any emancipatory feminist politics.
Purpose of research
The researcher will analyse KADEM’s publications, their media mentions, as well as carry out interviews with Islamic-feminist organisations and Islamic organisations. The aim is to support a network of feminist scholars working against gender backlash to pro-duce more efficient strategies to resist gender backlash in Turkey.
Purple Line: Framing the Backlash against Gender Equality and Strategies of Resistance in Turkey
Overview
Turkey announced in March 2021 its withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention – a human rights treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. This was despite intense protests from women’s right organisations and lawyers, and amidst national uprisings. The official statement from the Government to withdraw from the Convention stated that it “was hijacked by a group of people attempting to normalize homosexuality – which is incompatible with Türkiye’s social and family values.” This withdrawal resulted from the top-down and bottom-up backlash that has been ongoing since 2016, targeting women’s and LGBTQI+ rights. Increasing frequency of femicides, and incidents that violate civil and legal human rights are other significant consequences of this backlash. Women’s rights and LGBTQI+ organisations, amongst others, supported each other to counter the backlash against these rights.
Purpose of research
This grant will be used investigate top-down and bottom-up backlash against gender equality and women’s rights, as well as the strategies developed by women’s rights organisations and human rights activists to respond to this. The researcher will review existing literature, interview lawyers, feminist activists and academics The findings will be disseminated through podcasts, blogposts, and social media platforms.