Transitional Moments, Conflicts over Gender, and the Meanings of Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and South America: A Comparative Agenda

Abstract The article examines current disputes over gender and democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and South America, two regions that experienced the third wave of democratization and now face democratic backsliding alongside a gender backlash. We argue that today’s struggles over gender are linked to earlier “transitional” moments when feminists tried to (re)negotiate the meaning of democracy and citizenship. Based on extensive literature, we place gender at the center of democratizing and de-democratizing trends in three transitional moments: the transition from military rule and socialism to democracy; the Pink Tide and European Union accession; and the current period marked by anti-gender actors forming antidemocratic coalitions. While focusing on opposing actors and their relationship with the state, we also acknowledge the differences between the first two transitions and propose a hypothesis regarding the striking similarities in the third transition across both regions. Ultimately, the article identifies factors to establish a comparative research agenda.