Consensual Gender Politics under Neoliberal Restructuring

Abstract This study examines the proliferation and expansion of governmental and nongovernmental institutions addressing gender-based violence in Israel under neoliberal policies since the mid-1980s. Using longitudinal data from our original WPA-IL (women's policy agencies) dataset documenting GBV (gender-based violence) institutions from 1970–2017, we analyze the field's characteristics and stakeholder interactions over time. We focus particularly on hybrid patterns of service provision between government bodies and women's NGOs. We argue that neoliberal institutionalization and professionalization prompted the devaluation and underfunding of women's work in this sector while erasing feminist knowledge about GBV. The hybrid model, initially designed to support grassroots initiatives, has enabled for-profit organizations to compete for limited state resources through social service procurement.