Democracy needs women: Feminist leadership in times of shrinking enabling environments for civil society

March 9, 2026

Feminist leaders across multiple continents are actively defending democratic institutions and civic spaces during a period of widespread democratic backsliding. Women activists face significant barriers including economic precarity, legal restrictions, surveillance, and digital harassment that prevent their full participation in civic life, with their exclusion serving as an early indicator of broader democratic decline. From Tanzania to Cameroon, these leaders are challenging systemic issues by monitoring elections, reforming media institutions, confronting harmful gender norms, and combating online violence that seeks to silence them.

Who is affected

Women activists and feminist leaders in Tanzania, China, Morocco, Brazil, Cameroon, and East Africa
Martina Kabisama (Tanzanian feminist advocate)
The Feminist Five in China (detained in 2015)
Saida El Alami (Moroccan blogger and human rights defender)
Patrícia Campos Mello (Brazilian journalist)
Beau-Bernard Fonka Mutta (Cameroonian journalist and media executive)
Evelyn Mengue A Koung (Cameroonian journalist and Central Director for Television)
Women in remote villages using digital platforms
Women lacking access to social protection systems
Marginalized communities whose voices are amplified or silenced by media
Democratic institutions losing legitimacy and resilience

What action is being taken

Martina Kabisama is working at the intersection of women's political participation and social protection in Tanzania
Women across East Africa are taking leading roles in election observation, community mediation, and civic education
Beau-Bernard Fonka Mutta is critically reflecting on and challenging toxic masculinity norms in media and politics
Evelyn Mengue A Koung is serving as the first woman and youngest Central Director for Television at Cameroon's national broadcaster
Feminists are monitoring elections, advocating for social protection systems, reforming media institutions, confronting toxic gender norms, and challenging online violence
Women in remote villages are using smartphones and social media to bypass traditional gatekeepers and tell their own stories

Why it matters

Democracy and gender justice are fundamentally interconnected—when women's participation is restricted, democratic institutions themselves weaken and lose legitimacy. Women's political participation requires foundational elements like safety, economic security, and the ability to organize, not just access to voting. The erosion of women's rights to organize, speak, and lead serves as an early warning sign of broader democratic decline rather than merely collateral damage. When feminist leadership expands, democracy becomes more accountable, inclusive, and participatory, demonstrating that women's civic participation is essential for democratic survival. In the current context of shrinking civic spaces, rising authoritarianism, and digital repression across continents, feminist leaders are holding the line and sustaining democratic institutions at personal risk, revealing that democracy requires active defense rather than self-perpetuation.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices