How Authoritarians Exploit Gender

March 25, 2026·23 min·2 clips

How do authoritarian leaders in sub-Saharan Africa weaponize women's rights while maintaining world-leading levels of women in parliament?

This episode of the People, Power, Politics podcast examines how authoritarian leaders strategically use gender politics to consolidate power. Host Nic Cheeseman is joined by political science professors Ellen Bionigard and Per Zetterberg from Uppsala University, authors of a *Journal of Democracy* article on the topic. The discussion is prompted by the paradoxical coexistence of authoritarianism and high female parliamentary representation in some sub-Saharan African nations. Bionigard and Zetterberg argue that authoritarians are not uniformly anti-gender equality but instrumentally shift between "gender bashing" and "gender washing." Gender bashing involves attacking LGBTQ+ rights and gender ideology to mobilize conservative constituencies. Conversely, gender washing promotes women's representation in politics to gain international legitimacy and appear modern. The hosts cite Rwanda, which has the world's highest percentage of women in parliament, as a prime example of this instrumental approach. They note that promoting women in legislatures can be a low-cost strategy for autocrats, as these bodies often hold little real power. The conversation references the global "anti-gender movement" and its alignment with authoritarian populists. Specific regimes in Eastern Europe and Africa are analyzed as case studies of this dynamic. A key insight is that autocrats adopt progressive stances on women's political inclusion precisely to deflect criticism of their democratic backsliding. The scholars contend that this strategic use of gender creates a "double bind" for democracy advocates, forcing difficult choices. They observe that gender-washing policies are often narrowly focused on descriptive representation rather than substantive policy changes for all women. The analysis suggests that international organizations sometimes inadvertently reward this behavior by praising numerical gains. A surprising claim is that these tactics can fracture feminist movements, as some groups accept incremental gains from authoritarian regimes. The tone is academic and analytical, grounded in comparative political science research. The style is a structured interview, with the host posing questions to guide the experts through their framework. Listeners interested in the intersection of gender politics, authoritarianism, and international relations will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a narrative-driven or activist-oriented discussion of gender rights might find the analytical tone too detached.

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