Why the United Nations should care about Far-Right Women
Contributed by Next Generation Experts Series
Posted 26 August 2024
The rise of far right women in mainstream politics has serious consequences for multilateralism and the UN needs to pay attention
By Daniela Riess
August 23, 2024
Women are victims. Their physical safety is endangered. Their traditional gender role is endangered. Their feminine looks, characteristics, and identity are endangered.
At least that's what we hear from conservative, right-wing, and far-right political parties and movements; and the far-right is on the rise, in Europe commonly known as 'La Nouvelle Droite' or 'The New Right.' This movement needs serious attention by the United Nations, as it uses pseudo-philosophical questions and arguments to sow doubts in people's minds of fundamental democratic principles, such as human rights, gender, social systems, the free press, and equal opportunities.
Women are incomparably more affected by war, genocide, and the misogynist influence of extremist ideologies than men. Globally, only 56 percent of women are able to make their own sexual and reproductive decisions, and sexual violence continues to be a war weapon. Women are socially and economically held small under patriarchy, and earn on average 20 percent less than men. Economic crises and environmental destruction hit women harder than men as they tendentially live under more precarious circumstances.
Recently, far-right and far-right extremists have intentionally targeted women in their outreach in order to expand their voter's demographics, and to appear more mainstream and 'electable' in the public. The 'mainstreamisation' of the far-right is what makes it so dangerous for a liberal world order and global cooperation. Women's and girl's rising participation and political careers in far-right extremist movements are a concerning trend that affects the United Nations and global cooperation. The empowerment and 'mainstreamization' of the far right and their nationalist agenda leads to decreased willingness to cooperate within international organizations which especially affects critical areas such as the climate crisis, alternative energies, migration, and refugee aid. While women are strong and important fighters for human rights and democracy, and globally work as ambassadors in preventing and countering violent extremism, the far-right tries to counteract and persuade women and girls to follow its constraining ideology.
Far-right politicians are broadly known for their anti-feminist way of thought and far-right movements have traditionally been male-dominated as an effect of their patriarchal and conservative-hierarchal structures. Still, women are playing a carrying role in supporting and manifesting traditional and backward gender roles as well as anti-immigrant and anti-muslim propaganda. Far-right female influencers, political activists, and politicians demanding physical safety from 'immigrant men' seem more convincing than their male counterparts, and conservative women in the still mainly female caring sector such as educators and mothers influence children's values and world views.
European 'New Right' movements define their activism through metapolitical discussions. Distracting the public from their anti-democratic, racist, nationalist, and extremist ideas by covering pseudo-philosophical and pseudo-feminist topics such as the 'prohibition of free speech' (e.g. targeting the 'National Socialism Prohibition Act'), the 'decay of the language' by gender-inclusive adjustments, or the 'safety of our women' (as apparently, women are only threatened by immigrant, non-White and non-Christian men).
Coming from Austria, Adolf Hitler's country of origin and one of the leading forces involved in the Holocaust and multiple further war crimes, I attentively follow the unsettling trend of right-wing movements trying to fight their way back to cultural, normative, and political power in Europe, using more moderate speech and messages than before. Plump nazi-paroles and Hitler salutes are out, combat boots and bold white heads get replaced by hipster beards and hippie glasses. And that is truly concerning. Why? Because this trend means the 'normalization' of the far-right.
Wherever we look globally, and especially in many parts of Europe, moderate governments get replaced by right-wing parties, or undergo an antidemocratic procedure known as democratic backsliding. A violent coup d'état is not the main threat to democratic values anymore - it's autocrats in democratically elected governments. By gradually changing the law in their favor, and suppressing free journalism and political opponents, democratically elected leaders such as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey or Viktor Orbán in Hungary are perfect examples of democratic backsliding.
This political spectrum shift has strong implications for women, and for the UN's global governance endeavors. The center shifts to the right-wing, the right-wing shifts to the far-right. The far-right shifts into extremism. And extremism does not want to cooperate, negotiate, and compromise.
Women's appearance in far-right extremist movements makes them more approachable, and more 'electable,' in contrast to the old-school male 'combat-boots-and-nazi-flag' extremists. One of the strongest and widely known European 'New Right' movements are The Identitarians, founded and led by the Austrian political activist Martin Sellner. The Identitarians tend to focus on gaining memberships by women, specifically young and educated, in order to serve an outer image of equality, progressiveness, and moderation. The Identitarians present themselves as 'a movement for all people' - a strategy that supports their aim to be perceived as a party which transmits the citizen's opinions. Martin Sellner's wife Brittany Sellner has used Social Media wording, hashtags and Search Engine Optimization in order to become an influential far-right activist. On her Social Media Accounts, Brittany Sellner presents herself as an average (non-political) influencer, thus spreading her ideology by placing private pictures or using 'self care' and 'life-coach' headlines like 'What Makes Women Great' or 'Man Won't Date 'Woke' Women.'
Implementing counter-measurements against far-right extremist movements is an important step that the UN can take towards a globally cooperative future. Engaging women who spread anti-feminist ideologies can prevent mis- and disinformation that may cause active harm by reinforcing systems of oppression toward women globally.
A political party or movement with a higher number of female members is traditionally seen as more moderate and reasonable. And while only a few women actually come to power, far-right extremists often deliver a misogynist, hierarchical, nationalist, and racist message. When fascism is female, the UN will have been reduced to an unrealizable dream of multilateral cooperation and a bastion of sovereignty in the service of patriarchy.
Downloads
Geography
topics
Stay Informed
Receive email updates about the Global Governance Innovation Network and related research.
You can opt out at any time. Read our privacy policy.