Gender Trouble in Poland

In the Polish parliamentary elections of October 2015, the right-wing Law and Justice party won enough seats that, for the first time since the fall of communism, Poland is being governed by one party alone. The new government has acted swiftly, aggressively attacking feminists, “the homosexual lobby,” and the liberal values of a threatening West. In response to this new level of mobilization against any and all feminist ideas and values, the Network of East-West Women (NEWW), an international feminist organization connecting and developing support among feminists in post-communist countries and the United States, has gathered to discuss ways to fight back. At the moment, Poland has Law and Justice; the United States has Trump. Recognizing the parallels and together crafting possible responses is one kind of internationalism that feels urgent now.