(En)Gendering Authoritarianism: Understanding and Countering How Gender is Weaponized for Authoritarian Ends

Authoritarian movements around the world are deliberately weaponizing gender and sexuality to divide societies, normalize hierarchies, and consolidate power. This session presents a six-strategy framework for understanding how political and cultural leaders leverage gender as a tool for authoritarian capture. Through a brief presentation and facilitated small-group work, participants will examine how gender narratives and policies function as a means to wider authoritarian ends and develop actionable insights for strategic response.