Women and electoral politics in Iran and Turkey: Undemocratic structures and feminist resistance
Advocates of women’s rights have long demanded women’s greater access to political office, especially the national parliament, with hopes to influence policy making with feminist agendas. However, feminist activists’ focus on electoral politics has been mixed in autocratic and patriarchal contexts. While some research pointed to the role of critical actors in policy making who act as feminist insiders, others warned about the futility of such intentions in undemocratic contexts. Comparing Iran and Turkey in recent decades, Dr. Tajali highlights the complexities of women’s substantive representation in autocratic contexts by mapping out various forms of feminist resistance as well as state backlash and overall democratic recession. This analysis helps shed light onto the conditions that led to the recent women-led protests in Iran and Turkey.
Date: 24 October 2023, 11:00 (Tuesday, 3rd week, Michaelmas 2023)
Venue: St Antony's College, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
Venue Details: MEC
Speaker: Professor Mona Tajali (Agnes Scott College)
Organiser: Professor Maryam Alemzadeh (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: charlotte.guillain@area.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Joint WRRS and MEA
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Charlotte Guillain