Tackling Violence Against Women in Poland and the United Kingdom: How Has Right-Wing Populist Ideology Influenced Policy Outputs?

Violence against women is a global problem with severe health, social and economic consequences. How do right-wing populist parties respond to this problem? Existing research indicates that women's movements, as well as occasionally left-wing parties, play an instrumental role. However, the influence of right-wing populist ideology remains less explored. Conservative values, emphasizing traditional family structures and gender roles, a reluctance to acknowledge gender-specific aspects of violence and a populist anti-gender and exclusionary rhetoric may impede comprehensive legal reforms. Yet, the urgency of the problem, particularly amid the Covid-19 “shadow pandemic” and rising domestic violence rates, has demanded state intervention. Using an intersectional feminist perspective, this article analyzes discourses and how the interplay between strategic behaviour and ideological contradictions influenced the adoption of the Poland’s Domestic Violence Act Amendments 2023 and UK’s Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Comparing Poland’s Law and Justice Party’s approach with that of the British Conservative Party reveals nuanced dynamics and contributes to broader debates in comparative politics and public policy, illustrating how feminist praxis may be challenged in the context of right-wing populism and democratic backsliding.