{"id":40,"date":"2026-04-01T10:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/aei\/?p=40"},"modified":"2026-04-19T18:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T18:07:09","slug":"why-authoritarianism-fears-women-and-why-it-should","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/aei\/2026\/04\/01\/why-authoritarianism-fears-women-and-why-it-should\/","title":{"rendered":"Why authoritarianism fears women \u2014 and why it should"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article is based on a speech AEI Executive Director Jamila Raqib gave at Tufts University, at the Fletcher School Conference on Gender in International Affairs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, there are two parallel global trends: the rise of authoritarianism and the resurgence of patriarchy, trends that are being tracked by the United Nations. The UN Secretary General is warning against <a href=\"https:\/\/press.un.org\/en\/2023\/sgsm22057.doc.htm\">authoritarianism<\/a> while at the same time UN Women is sounding an <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2025\/06\/1164531\">alarm<\/a> as misogyny becomes more prevalent in workplaces, schoolyards, and relationships (see their recent publication on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/en\/articles\/explainer\/what-is-the-manosphere-and-why-should-we-care\">manosphere<\/a>). These are mutually reinforcing systems of oppression, and both are fundamentally about power, who has it, and who it\u2019s denied to\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authoritarianism and patriarchy operate with the same logic, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hks.harvard.edu\/faculty-research\/policy-topics\/gender-race-identity\/autocracy-and-patriarchy-are-surging-worldwide\">research is showing<\/a> that they are surging worldwide. They concentrate power in the hands of a few. They eliminate opposition and punish dissent. They enforce rigid roles and strict hierarchies \u2013 hierarchies that are presented as natural, inevitable, or even divine. They thrive on obedience, fear, and the silencing of voices that challenge the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fight to combat these systems, women are playing, and must continue to play, a central role. That is why authoritarians are so fearful of empowered and organized women as a collective force. And the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/articles\/china\/2022-02-08\/women-rights-revenge-patriarchs\">research says<\/a> they probably should be. Women are a secret weapon against authoritarianism. They always have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women have been at the forefront of struggles throughout history, not&nbsp; exclusively struggles to advance the rights of women, but in every type of struggle imaginable, such as the rights of workers, the rights of indigenous groups, and struggles for national liberation. Women have not only been&nbsp; participants, but leaders, strategists, and organizers. And they have often done so while fighting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nonviolent-conflict.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/The-Khudai-Khidmatgar-1.pdf\">patriarchal systems<\/a> that denied them their full rights as citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women have played leadership roles in the most prominent struggles for justice and freedom,\u00a0from the Indian Independence Movement, the anti-apartheid struggle, the first Intifada, the Otpor Movement in Serbia, the Arab Spring, the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, the Green movement in Iran and then again in the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, and in recent struggles in Sri Lanka, Poland, and Bangladesh. The examples are countless, and yet women\u2019s\u00a0 contributions are often overlooked or erased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Erica Chenoweth and Zoe Marks\u2019 research in the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/ash.harvard.edu\/programs\/women-in-resistance-data-project\/\">Women in Resistance<\/a>&#8221; dataset begins to address this gap, and it shows that inclusion of women in a movement isn\u2019t just a nice idea, it\u2019s a strategic necessity. The research shows a clear link between women\u2019s participation and leadership, and higher success rates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what does that mean for today\u2019s movements? When women are in leadership roles or on the front lines, this seems to produce a number of important dynamics that are linked to movement effectiveness: movements tend to achieve mass participation, be more tactically innovative, more resilient to repression, more likely to stay nonviolent, and more likely to lead to democratic outcomes in the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>First, on mass participation.<\/strong> Women-led movements are more likely to achieve this because participation rates don\u2019t just double when women lead, they increase <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/336361239_Women's_Participation_and_the_Fate_of_Resistance_Campaigns_A_Report_on_the_WiRe_Dataset#:~:text=actions.%20...-,...,resistance%20against%20oppression.%20...\">seven and a half times<\/a>. That&#8217;s because when women show up, they bring others with them. They bring their communities, including the social networks that men often can\u2019t reach: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/07\/28\/896174019\/what-the-wall-of-moms-protests-say-about-motherhood-race-in-america\">mothers\u2019 groups<\/a>, schools, religious groups, families, and neighborhood associations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s what nonviolent movements are positioned to do: use methods and tactics that enable the participation of a larger segment of the population including women, but also people who are younger and older, and who have different abilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A great example is Bangladesh&#8217;s pro-democracy uprising in 2024, which was truly multi-generational, intersectional, and inclusive. It was also youth and women-led. As one organizer put it, when women and girls joined the struggle, \u201cthe movement became a people&#8217;s revolution.\u201d Numbers matter, and larger movements tend to be more successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Second, on skills and tactical innovation.<\/strong> It\u2019s not just about the quantity of the participation; it\u2019s about the quality. Women bring special skills and types of social power to movements. Not necessarily because they\u2019re born with them, but because they\u2019ve been socialized into these roles: managing households, coordinating care, multitasking, organizing, and logistics \u2013 all of which are very needed for mass mobilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women also tend to be more creative and tactically innovative. A study from <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gsu.edu\/2024\/08\/21\/gender-differences-in-creativity\/\">Georgia State University<\/a> found that while men tend to take bigger risks, women generate ideas that are more inclusive of other perspectives, which makes those ideas more practical and more easily implemented, because more people feel a sense of ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Third, on resilience to repression.<\/strong> Movements where women are participating in large numbers are usually more resilient to repression. When regimes use violence against movements that include women, grandmothers, or schoolchildren being attacked, this triggers a backfire effect, delegitimizing the regime and creating sympathy for the movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Sudan&#8217;s 2019 pro-democracy revolution this was visible, as women made up an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmi.no\/publications\/7847-sudans-constitutional-process-a-gender-inclusive-approach\">70 percent<\/a> of the movement. This gave them huge moral authority and legitimacy as citizens fighting for dignity and freedom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fourth, on nonviolent discipline.<\/strong> Women-led movements are more likely to stay nonviolent because women tend to bring skills in de-escalation and negotiation, which help prevent movements from turning to violence when they\u2019re provoked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A study out of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuqua.duke.edu\/duke-fuqua-insights\/when-women-may-be-better-negotiators-men\">Duke<\/a> University found that women tend to bring negotiation styles that are seen as less aggressive, and their relation-oriented, inter-personal approaches make it more likely that deals can be reached and sustained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the Liberian Women\u2019s Peace Movement in the early 2000s, Christian and Muslim women organized across religious and ethnic lines during a brutal civil war. They held sit-ins, protests, and even a sex strike to force factions that were fighting each other to come to the negotiating table. This led to the end of a brutal civil war, the resignation of the Liberian president, and the election of Africa\u2019s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fifth, on transitioning to a democratic system.<\/strong> The research shows that many <a href=\"https:\/\/wps.unwomen.org\/participation\/\">years<\/a> after a successful struggle, in which women participated in large numbers, societies are more likely to see gains in democracy, gender equity, and civil liberties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s because when women are involved, the emergence of an alternative vision for society is more likely, along with alternative institutions and governance structures, constructive programs like mutual aid, and the everyday skills needed for transition and long-term governance. These are the foundations of democratic resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Bangladesh&#8217;s 2024 uprising, when Sheikh Hasina, the country&#8217;s authoritarian ruler for 15 years, fled the country, much of the police force went on strike, which could have led to chaos and violence. But women students refused to demobilize, and stayed in the streets along with men, to guide traffic and conduct night patrols to maintain public order. Now, with a new government in place, the hope is that women and girls will continue to stay mobilized and use the political power they\u2019ve gained to preserve their place in government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transition periods are times of great vulnerability. As unjust institutions are weakened through noncooperation, new ones must be built to take their place. The democratizing effect that women\u2019s participation has on the transition period is an important piece of the puzzle in building societies that are resilient to backsliding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This research is still in its infancy, and there\u2019s so much more to learn about women&#8217;s roles in struggles for justice \u2013 roles that have too often been overlooked or erased. Just like any other field, if women and girls don\u2019t see themselves represented, they might not see what\u2019s possible for them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/politicalresearch.org\/2025\/04\/02\/gender-and-authoritarianism\">leadership<\/a> in struggles against authoritarianism and injustice today is not just an ethical consideration, it\u2019s a strategic necessity. For the numbers they bring, for the networks they mobilize, and for the creativity, the skills, the resilience, and moral leadership they offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fact that today\u2019s movements against authoritarianism are heavily women and youth led is grounds for real hope, hope that our movements will be more resilient, more creative, and ultimately, more successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fact that today\u2019s movements against authoritarianism are heavily women and youth led is grounds for real hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":987,"featured_media":87,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5,7,8,6],"region":[],"series":[],"article_type":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-authoritarianism","tag-misogyny","tag-patriarchy","tag-women"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why authoritarianism fears women \u2014 and why it should<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The fact that today\u2019s movements against authoritarianism are heavily women and youth led is grounds for real hope.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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