The lack of a mass mobilization dimension coupled with the development of women and gender equality NGOs seemed to pave an ineluctable path for contemporary feminist movement. Nevertheless, street protests and more contentious forms of action have been actively incorporated within the tactical repertoire of the feminist movement. These diagnoses reflect the ongoing tension facing feminist activism, moving between disruptive and institutionalized forms of intervention.
In Romania, the communist legacy, the pressures of neoliberal transition, and the academic background of the feminist groups rather than a grass-roots dimension, contributed to reinforce this antinomy between contentious and non-contentious practices. Moreover, transnational institutions, such as external (Western) funders and EU institutions contributed to a process of institutionalization of gender equality discourse and NGOization of the feminist movement.
This study aims to analyze the impact of transnational actors, especially foreign (Western) funders and EU institutions on the organizational structures and repertoires of action of feminist groups in terms of both facilitating and constraining women’s emancipation and the achievement of the feminist movement goals.
The lack of state funding or the scarce individual members contributions for feminist NGOs in Romania lead to an implicit dependence on foreign resources. Thus, it becomes important to explain the impact of foreign funding (EU, Norwegian funds) on the modes of organization and repertoires of action of feminist NGOs – located mainly in urban areas rather than rural, with a national dimension, rather than a local one, working on project-based activities, rather than focused on contentious actions. Do foreign funds affect in the same manner formal NGOs and more informal feminist groups? Within the process of NGOization, does institutionalization and professionalization affect as well those feminist organizations that do not have access to foreign funds? If so, what are the effects?
