Gendered Forms of Protest : Do Women's Participation Affect the Outcome of Nonviolent Campaigns?

Abstract: Over the last decades, the world has not only seen an increase in nonviolent campaigns that challenge regimes, but also a dramatic increase in women’s participation in those campaigns. Despite this trend, there are few studies that explain if and how women influence nonviolent campaign outcomes. This study seeks to contribute to this understudied topic by exploring whether female protestors have an effect on the outcomes of nonviolent campaigns. The research question is: Why do some nonviolent campaigns succeed, while others fail? By synthesizing sociological concepts with rational agency-based factors that have proven to produce successful outcomes, I construct three gender-related campaign dimensions: (1) gender framing techniques; (2) gender experiences; and (3) shared gender-equal attitudes, that I argue increase the likelihood of successful campaigns. I evaluate the theoretical arguments in a case study using the method of structured focused comparison on the Sudanese Revolution in Sudan (2018-2019), the Anti-Mubarak Campaign in Egypt (2011), and the Anti-Bouteflika Campaign in Algeria (2011). I find that campaigns that are influenced by gender dimensions also succeed in achieving some or a majority of their goals, while campaigns that are not influenced by gender dimensions fail to achieve their goals.