Deterioration of Women's Position with Rising Populism

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the implications of right-wing populism for gender relations and women’s rights by summarizing the debates on the common gender aspects of current populist discourses in different countries, and by demonstrating the populist elements in contemporary Turkey, especially in the discourses of its populist President Tayyip Erdoğan. The chapter first summarizes the contemporary debates on populism, by pointing out its main distinguishing aspects according to scholars who write on populism. Next, there is a discussion on what right-wing populist discourses suggest in terms of gender, women’s position in society, and family. By focusing on the case of Turkey, the article demonstrates the trajectory of populism in the country and its recent rise during the period of AKP (Justice and Development Party/Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi) governments, and discusses the gendered impacts of right-wing populism in Turkey, especially during the period of AKP governments. Finally, there is an analysis of three of President Erdoğan’s speeches on women’s rights, with a reflection on how his populist discourses position women. The article concludes with a discussion of what the Turkish case demonstrates to us about how populist discourses position women in society, and also suggestions and strategies for confronting the threat for women that is created by increasing right-wing populism.