Özge Zihnioğlu is a senior lecturer (associate professor) of politics at the University of Liverpool and a member of the Civic Research Network. Her research focuses on Turkish civil society, EU-Turkey relations, and EU civil society support, and she has published widely on these topics.
Women play diverse roles in and exert major influence on popular movements against democratic erosion around the world, from Brazil to Hungary to India.
Many autocratic leaders have understood the power of women’s political action and are taking steps to co-opt or undermine it. Those looking to support democracy should take note.
Mass protests garner significant attention, but what happens next is just as vital for achieving real and lasting change.
What conservative civic activism portends for global civil society.
Despite a large-scale crackdown on civil society, groups in Turkey are adjusting their institutions and preserving their voices with a cautious eye to the future.
Civic cooperation in Turkey is a promising trend, potentially reinforcing the effects of different actors’ work in a country where sustained, long-term efforts have been rare.
Case studies from eight countries show how civic activism across the world is evolving and reveal crosscutting themes relevant to the future of civil society support.
