Decolonizing gender mainstreaming in ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ feminist activism

Ladan Rahbari

Chapter 34 in Research Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming, 2026, pp 460-471 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter examines the Woman, Life, Freedom (WLF) uprising in Iran as a decolonial feminist movement resisting patriarchal oppression, colonial control, and Western-centric notions of gender justice. I explore how WLF reframes gender justice and its potential to decolonize gender mainstreaming. I argue that WLF positions gender as an indispensable force for broader social justice and fosters a transnational solidarity movement that transcends national borders. By centring grassroots activism and intersectional solidarity, it challenges top-down approaches and calls for radical, systemic change over incremental reform. It also disrupts the idea that WLF's core message is confined to a single nation. This analysis highlights how feminist movements in the Global South offer a blueprint for decolonizing gender discourses, including gender mainstreaming.

Keywords: Decolonization; Diaspora; Feminist Activism; Gender Mainstreaming; Iran; Woman Life Freedom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035353415
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