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Fighting for equal rights in Brazil under Bolsonaro: Feminist activism in countries governed by the "new" right

Norkus, Marie-Christin LU (2023) SIMZ21 20231
Graduate School
Abstract
Situated in the context of the global rise of the right and growing anti-feminist and anti-gender mobilization, this thesis explores the impacts of Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing populist government (2019-2022) on feminist activism in Brazil from an activist's perspective. It investigates the shifts and disruptions this government has entailed on three levels: in the realms of social public policies, specifically with regards to women's rights; for the lives of working-class, feminist activist women; and for the Brazilian feminist movement more generally. It is based on five months of ethnographic fieldwork in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as interviews with activists from the Brazilian chapter of the transnational feminist grassroots movement... (More)
Situated in the context of the global rise of the right and growing anti-feminist and anti-gender mobilization, this thesis explores the impacts of Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing populist government (2019-2022) on feminist activism in Brazil from an activist's perspective. It investigates the shifts and disruptions this government has entailed on three levels: in the realms of social public policies, specifically with regards to women's rights; for the lives of working-class, feminist activist women; and for the Brazilian feminist movement more generally. It is based on five months of ethnographic fieldwork in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as interviews with activists from the Brazilian chapter of the transnational feminist grassroots movement World March of Women. Drawing on a framework of right-wing populism, neoliberalism and backlash, I argue that Bolsonaro's government followed a right-wing populist and neoliberal logic that led to dismantling of the Brazilian social state and amplifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, all with serious impacts on working-class women and feminist activists and activism in particular. Viewed against the backdrop of a broader rise of right-wing forces, it can further be argued that a backlash occurred in Brazil as a reaction to progressive change enacted by previous left-wing administrations, as well as the influential Brazilian feminist movement. (Less)
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author
Norkus, Marie-Christin LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ21 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Social Anthropology, World March of Women, feminist activism, backlash, right-wing populism
language
English
id
9136077
date added to LUP
2023-09-14 15:25:54
date last changed
2023-09-14 15:25:54
@misc{9136077,
  abstract     = {{Situated in the context of the global rise of the right and growing anti-feminist and anti-gender mobilization, this thesis explores the impacts of Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing populist government (2019-2022) on feminist activism in Brazil from an activist's perspective. It investigates the shifts and disruptions this government has entailed on three levels: in the realms of social public policies, specifically with regards to women's rights; for the lives of working-class, feminist activist women; and for the Brazilian feminist movement more generally. It is based on five months of ethnographic fieldwork in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as interviews with activists from the Brazilian chapter of the transnational feminist grassroots movement World March of Women. Drawing on a framework of right-wing populism, neoliberalism and backlash, I argue that Bolsonaro's government followed a right-wing populist and neoliberal logic that led to dismantling of the Brazilian social state and amplifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, all with serious impacts on working-class women and feminist activists and activism in particular. Viewed against the backdrop of a broader rise of right-wing forces, it can further be argued that a backlash occurred in Brazil as a reaction to progressive change enacted by previous left-wing administrations, as well as the influential Brazilian feminist movement.}},
  author       = {{Norkus, Marie-Christin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Fighting for equal rights in Brazil under Bolsonaro: Feminist activism in countries governed by the "new" right}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}