Guilt, Rage, and Solidarity: How Feminist Anti-War Activism Shapes Political Consciousness

• In Event: Russian Feminism after 2022: Anti-War Resistance and Internal Development of the Movement

Abstract

This study explores the Feminist Anti-War Resistance movement (FAR), a grassroots initiative that emerged in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on qualitative data from 61 in-depth interviews conducted between September 2023 and April 2024, the article examines Russian emigrants in various countries who are coordinators, volunteers, activists, or proponents of FAR. The research investigates the motivations behind their activism and the role their participation in FAR plays in their lives. Comprising predominantly women activists, FAR exemplifies a unique blend of feminist and anti-war activism. Utilizing narrative analysis, the study delves into the emotional and motivational drivers behind this activism, highlighting how personal traumas and political crises converge to fuel a collective feminist consciousness. The findings reveal FAR’s decentralized, non-hierarchical structure and intersectional approach, which embraces diverse genders, sexual orientations, and abilities, but the long-term effectiveness of such a structure is questionable. The analysis demonstrates the transformative potential of grassroots movements in promoting social and political change, particularly in the context of war-induced displacement and oppression.

Author

• Karolina Nugumanova, Scuola Normale Superiore (Italy)