Gender Ideology and the Istanbul Convention in Bulgaria
Author
Squire, Isobel Jane Ase
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Pages
99
Abstract
Since 2012, Europe has witnessed powerful anti-gender movements mobilizing against the idea of gender as a social construct, often framed as ‘gender ideology’. This thesis examines Bulgaria’s refusal to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women by analyzing how and why the Convention’s embedded gender norm was contested by key actors. The study is guided by norm circulation theory, which explores how international norms are translated locally, and applies two interpretive lenses drawn from anti-gender research: ‘gender ideology’ as discourse and as strategy. Empirically, it uses one semi-structured interview and four strategically sampled texts produced by both the Bulgarian anti-gender campaign and progressive supporters of the Convention. Through qualitative frame analysis, the study develops two master frames: one capturing opponents’ framing of gender in the Convention and another capturing progressive efforts to reclaim that framing. The analysis finds evidence of ‘gender ideology’ as a discursive pattern echoing other European cases and as a strategic tool used by Bulgarian politicians, conservative civil society, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. It also shows that earlier weak translation and adoption of gender equality norms helped facilitate the rapid mobilization against the Convention. The study thus identifies the rise of ‘gender ideology’ as a competing norm that hinders the uptake and translation of gender equality norms in Bulgaria.
Siden 2012 har Europa set stærke anti-gender-bevægelser, der mobiliserer mod forståelsen af køn som en social konstruktion og omtaler dette som ‘kønsidéologi’. Denne afhandling undersøger Bulgariens afvisning af at ratificere Istanbulkonventionen om forebyggelse og bekæmpelse af vold mod kvinder ved at analysere, hvordan og hvorfor den kønsnorm, som konventionen indlejrer, blev bestridt af centrale aktører i landet. Studiet er teoretisk forankret i normcirkulation, der ser på, hvordan internationale normer oversættes lokalt, og supplerer med to fortolkningsrammer fra forskningen i anti-gender-bevægelser: ‘kønsidéologi’ som diskurs og som strategi. Det empiriske grundlag består af ét semistruktureret interview og fire strategisk udvalgte tekster fra både anti-gender-kampagnen i Bulgarien og progressive aktører, der støttede konventionen. Gennem kvalitativ frameanalyse udvikles to masterframes: ét, der indfanger modstandernes indramning af køn i konventionen, og ét, der beskriver de progressives forsøg på at generobre rammesætningen. Analysen finder, at ‘kønsidéologi’ optræder som diskurs i overensstemmelse med lignende bevægelser i Europa, og at den også bruges strategisk af bulgarske politikere, konservativt civilsamfund og den bulgarsk-ortodokse kirke. Samtidig peger normcirkulationsperspektivet på, at tidligere svag oversættelse og implementering af ligestillingsnormer bidrog til den hurtige mobilisering mod konventionen. Studiet identificerer dermed fremvæksten af ‘kønsidéologi’ som en konkurrerende norm, der hæmmer optagelse og oversættelse af ligestillingsnormer i Bulgarien.
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