This special issue of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science examines the complex interplay between rising anti-gender movements and feminist resistance strategies across diverse global contexts. Through six contributions, it explores how opposition to gender equality has emerged as a powerful unifying force for conservative actors while simultaneously creating new divisions within established feminist spaces.
The research reveals several critical developments in contemporary gender politics. Anti-gender movements have evolved significantly, shifting their focus from opposing same-sex marriage to targeting transgender rights, often deploying sophisticated digital strategies and "child protection" narratives. These movements demonstrate remarkable adaptability in building coalitions across religious, political, and ideological lines. Their influence runs deeper than their immediate targets, reaching into feminist spaces themselves. Even established feminist organizations have begun adopting gender-critical positions, creating internal rifts that threaten collective solidarity. This fragmentation is particularly visible in how feminist movements respond to opposition—while some maintain strong unified fronts, others struggle with competition for resources and institutional pressures, leading some to retreat from public advocacy altogether.
Through a rich mix of methods—from ethnographic studies of NGOs and feminist media to digital discourse analysis of social media platforms—these contributions examine how anti-gender movements and feminist responses operate across different cultural and political contexts. The research particularly highlights the crucial role of online spaces in shaping contemporary gender politics, serving both as tools for anti-gender mobilization and sites of feminist resistance.
How can movements foster solidarity while making space for internal differences? What does meaningful visibility look like in increasingly hostile environments? And as anti-gender campaigns grow more sophisticated, what strategies might prove most effective in building sustained resistance? These are not just tactical questions but fundamental ones that touch on the very nature of feminist organizing in a changing world.
The cover illustration for our special issue is designed by Utsa SARMIN, a journalist, researcher, and artist based in Kolkata, India: "The illustration depicts our tired angry embattled selves having to look back, and go back to the basics—bread and roses, equality and dignity—in an increasingly polarised world where anti-women and anti-feminist narratives dangerously start resembling a world without our rights."
The new issue of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science as always presents a very diverse set of contributions. The issue features articles examining global health cooperation and pandemic treaties by Lala Jafarova, Lebanon's sectarian politics and French colonial legacy by Judy El Baba, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a decolonial lens by Catalina Catana and Simen Ekeberg, and debates about identity and democracy by Sung Jun Han. Stephanie Mae Pedron's essays in the Conversations section advocates for expanding non-citizen voting rights in the US. The issue includes two book reviews focused on feminist movements and gender politics in China and Russia. These diverse contributions converge around critical questions of how political systems navigate inclusion, representation, and the enduring impact of historical structures on contemporary governance.
The journal also continues a dialogue on inequalities in academic publishing through Abel Polese's piece, which offers practical insights for emerging scholars.
Volume 57 of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science features a diverse array of articles and reviews that showcase the breadth and depth of contemporary political science research. From an exploration of non-state actors and regional identity in Southern Africa to an analysis of Scottish political parties' framing strategies on social media, the articles employ a range of methodological approaches to explore pressing issues in international relations and comparative politics. The Conversations section includes a thought-provoking film review that highlights the power of cinema to engage with sociopolitical issues, while the book reviews critically engage with recent publications on the crisis of democratic politics and the electoral strategies of centrist anti-establishment parties in Central and Eastern Europe. Together, the contributions in this issue demonstrate the vibrant dialogue and debate within political science, as scholars push the boundaries of the discipline to grapple with the complex challenges of our time.
Welcome to the latest issue of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science. This compelling array of interdisciplinary articles offers unique perspectives on complex issues in international finance, criminal governance, social mobilization, electoral phenomena, and energy transitions.
As we embrace new genres and perspectives, we look forward to pushing boundaries and fostering interdisciplinary insights into pressing global challenges. In an increasingly complex world, it is vital that Political Science remains creative, adaptive, and connected to real-world contexts. Static, siloed approaches cannot adequately grasp the multidimensional issues societies face today—from climate instability to global health crises, migration flows to authoritarian resurgence. By opening our pages to interdisciplinary work, we want to support innovative theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, and analytical approaches that keep pace with our rapidly changing planet. Politikon seeks to spur positive change in Political Science—one that bridges divides, synthesizes knowledge across diverse fields, and engages substantively with the concerns of marginalized communities. Only then can our understanding of vexing phenomena move beyond surface explanations to reveal underlying drivers, interdependencies, and human impacts. This spirit of creative engagement, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and contextual sensitivity will shape the journal’s aspirations in future editions in 2024. We invite bold, boundary-pushing submissions from scholars worldwide seeking to advance political science’s frontiers and societal relevance.
