Description
The paper examines the political protest of older women in Russia who have staged single pickets against the full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022. While research on anti-war protest and political protest in Russia in general often focuses on younger activists and high-profile male opposition figures, older women have played a visible yet under-analysed role in protesting against the war in Ukraine. Drawing on case studies of female pensioners who have staged single pickets across Russia, the paper explores how age and gender intersect in shaping both the possibilities and constraints of protest in authoritarian Russia. It considers how older women mobilise their moral authority to criticise state violence and militarisation and addresses the specific vulnerabilities they face, including social stigma and financial difficulties. By centring older women’s protest, the paper sheds light on the political participation of a population that is considered to be apolitical and adds to the growing literature on anti-war protest in Russia.