Description
In this paper, I explore how state-imposed notions of femininity are subverted as tools of anti-war activism. Taking a feminist ontological and constructionist epistemological approach, I suggest the concept of hegemonic femininity as a lens to understand the relationship between gender and state power, particularly in militarised contexts. Drawing on primary research of social media discourse from the Instagram page of the Feminist Anti-War Resistance (FAR), the most prominent feminist coalition opposing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, I use reflective thematic analysis to examine the activists’ strategic use of conventional representations and ideals of femininity to convey their anti-war message. The analysis identified four key themes that reveal how emotional expression, care and inner strength are strategically used as political acts; modifying the ‘Mother Russia’ archetype into the antimilitarist solidarity symbol. This research draws attention to an often-overlooked phenomenon of the prominence of women in the Russian anti-war movement and offers a novel theoretical approach of understanding the intersections of gender, militarism, and resistance to it.
Keywords: Femininity; Gender; Militarism; Anti-war activism; Russia
