Populist Policymaking: Decriminalizing Domestic Violence in Russia

• In Event: Rethinking the Russian State: The Politics of Policymaking

Abstract

This paper examines recent changes in domestic violence policy in Russia as a lens on how Russia’s brand of populism shapes policymaking and on how right-wing populism in general depends on sexism.

In 2013, after two and half decades of feminist activism, the issue of domestic violence was finally on the policy agenda as result of Putin’s nod, but over the next four years, a small but vocal movement of parents affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church was able to push Putin to withdraw his support and the Federal Assembly to reverse a small reform and then partially de-criminalize domestic violence. The Orthodox-related parents movement drew upon transnational populist rhetoric about protecting the family from the feminist and pro-LGBT “gender ideology.” In contrast to the 2013 “gay propaganda” law which found resonance in the population, the Russian population and authorities had signaled—and continue to signal-- support for reforms to strengthen protections against domestic violence. In an authoritarian regime, populism somehow led to policy change without popular support.

This paper explains these dynamics through three theoretical literatures: social movement theory; informal politics, and gender-related policymaking. The populist movement itself claims to be a countermovement to the powerful, liberal values of the West, but Russia’s feminist activism has never been that robust, and Russia, unlike many other postcommunist countries, is mostly immune to pressures from European institutions. The backlash is thus preemptive, showing how populist politics inverts the movement-countermovement dynamic. Based on the arguments in my 2018 book, The Gender of Informal Politics, I argue that these developments are a result of the kind of informal politics that have developed in Russia. The Kremlin has become increasingly attentive to the female electorate, promoting more women into formal politics and trying to throw women some policy bones, but is most beholden to male-dominated elite networks, which now includes some top Orthodox leaders. Feminist activists had been mostly observing the formal rules of the game, seeking to raise public awareness and persuade policymakers, but over the last few years, they are becoming increasingly aware of and attempt to navigate the informal rules.

By tracing the complex politics of all these players in this opaque policy process, I show how populism and policy get negotiated in Russia, but also the gendered-ness of contemporary populism. The analysis draws upon two decades of fieldwork on the issue, including participant observation at a state-sponsored conference on domestic violence in Moscow in November of 2018.

Author

• Janet E. Johnson, CUNY-Brooklyn College