Populism and the Question of the Welfare of Women

Right-wing populist movements and parties in Europe focus largely on family policy issues in order to implement their nationalist ideas, which they base on a traditional gender order and the assumption of a biological gender binary. At the same time, right-wing populist movements and parties make use of feminist demands for the protection of women against oppression, violence, and sexual assault to distinguish themselves from societies and migrant communities that they see as regressive. This brief entry explains the populist enemy image of gender and feminism and shows how this enemy image contributes to the disadvantage of women’s welfare.