Rethinking feminist alliances: avoiding feminism, but advancing gender equality within refugee communities?

This article examines how Syrian women and queer refugees approach feminism, and how the organizations they establish address gender-based inequalities in access to rights and services in Turkey. In the face of growing anti-gender movements and the global prominence of gender equality, there is an urgent need for a refugee-centered understanding of feminism and feminist solidarity. Drawing on 53 in-depth interviews with women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) members of refugee-led organizations, I make a two-part argument: first, that women and queer refugees take diverse approaches to feminism; and second, that these approaches shape the practices they adopt to tackle gender-based inequalities in their communities and foster solidarity with non-refugee women and queers. I introduce the term “subtle solidarity practices” to describe how women and LGBTI-refugee-led organizations promote equal access to rights and services for refugees with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. In authoritarian contexts where feminist and pro-migrant alliances are under attack, refugee service providers adopt two solidarity practices: they avoid overtly feminist rhetoric by using more community-aligned language in gender-focused programs, and they collaborate discreetly with national feminist and queer groups. These practices allow them to advance gender equality while mitigating potential government backlash, anti-feminist opposition, and community resistance.